Happy Endings Aren't Always What We Expect
by secretdreamerhere
Summary: When newly-weds Emma Swan and Killian Jones have trouble conceiving a child, it seems like their happy ending is once again out of reach. That it until they meet little Katie, who in her short life has only known pain and heartbreak. The couple are set to prove that family doesn't have to mean blood, as long as there is love. *Contains mentions of sexual abuse (non-explicit)*
1. Chapter 1

Emma's grip on Killian's hand tightened with each passing minute. He didn't complain though, just continued to rub his thumb over the back of her hand in what he hoped was a soothing motion. The only sound in the room was a ticking clock and the occasional chair squeak as one of them tried, in vain, to get comfortable. It had been a long day, a long month in fact, and they both felt thoroughly exhausted. Emma's body had been put through the ringer and Killian was physically in pain with how much he worried for her. Glancing over at his wife he could see the effects this was all having on her. All he wanted to do was pick her in his arms and take her somewhere where nothing could hurt her; where they could just be. They hadn't had that in a long time.

 _It was the night after their honeymoon that they had the discussion. Well it wasn't much of a discussion. They sat at the kitchen table, just the two of them as Henry was staying at Regina's for one more night. Sitting at one end of the table Killian noticed just how much empty space there was around it; how many places that could be filled. From there he thought about the rooms in the house. How, discounting the guest room, there were still two empty rooms on their floor; Henry had quickly claimed the attic bedroom as his when they moved in. He felt Emma grasp his hook in her hand, pulling gently to get his attention. When he looked up he saw that her eyes were glassy, contrasting to the small smile on her lips._

 _"_ _Ok." She whispered, keeping her eyes locked with his. "Let's do it." Killian stared at her slightly confused before the pieces started to fall into place. He opened his mouth in wonder as he put down his fork to grasp her other hand in his own._

 _"_ _You're sure, love?" He breathed out as she nodded, a single tear sliding down her cheek._

 _"_ _Yeah. This house is too big for just us two, even on the weeks when we have Henry." Emma seemed as breathless as he was, talking quietly as if not wanting to scare away the idea. Killian brought his hand up to caress her cheek before surging forward to capture her lips in a searing kiss. It was loving and passionate as their embraces always were, the couple only pulling away when they needed to breathe._

 _"_ _Swan, just to be clear we are on the same page here. We're not talking about downgrading to a smaller place." He pressed his forehead against hers as he tried to get his head around how his life had brought him here._

 _"_ _As long as you're planning on taking me upstairs to get started on having a baby," Emma giggled as she slid over to sit in his lap, carding her fingers through his hair. "Then yeah, we're on the same page."_

 _"_ _I love you, Emma Swan." Killian stared intently into her eyes and her giggles immediately fell away._

 _"_ _And I love you, Killian Jones." Emma pressed their lips together once more, wrapping her arms around her true love's neck as he deepened the kiss._

 _"_ _Come on love, let's sail away." Killian whispered in her ear before lifting her up and carrying his wife up the stairs, her giggles sounding through the house as he kicked open the door to their bedroom._

The door to the consultation room swung open behind them, causing Emma's hand to jolt slightly in her husband's. Killian raised her knuckles to his lips, placing a quick kiss there in an attempt to relax her. She turned to him and gave what was probably meant to be a smile, but was actually more of a grimace. The doctor sat down on her side of the desk, giving the couple a nod of acknowledge before turning to her computer. Emma stared at the woman in front of them, glad that she was (1) not Whale and (2) a woman. She felt that news, especially to do with female things, was much easier to receive from a woman.

"So Mrs Jones-" The doctor started, pushing her glasses up her nose as she turned to face them.

"Um… it's actually Ms Swan." Emma didn't know how many times she'd said this already, and doubted that this would be anywhere near the last, but she was happy that she'd kept her last name. "But Emma's fine." She added as an afterthought, not really wanting to get off on the wrong foot with the woman who could hold the answer they'd been looking for.

"Oh my apologies." The doctor seemed friendly as she scribbled down a note to correct her files. "I'm Dr Marcs. Am I right in assuming you're Killian Jones, Ms Swan's husband?" Killian nodded in response, leaning forward to speak but his non-verbal answer seemed to suffice. "So, Emma, you first came to us three months ago after trying for children for a year with no pregnancy?" Emma let out a shaky breath as she nodded. In this instance, however, it seemed Marcs required actual words to be spoken. "Could you tell me a little about that? How often you were trying exactly?"

"Well we made the decision last August. To have children that is." Emma's mouth was suddenly extremely dry and she leaned forward to take a hefty gulp of her water. "We weren't like trying exactly, not really trying, not at first anyway. It was more when we had sex we wouldn't use any protection. We'd stopped using condoms when we got engaged, but I was still on the pill up until then." Her voice grew smaller the more she spoke about it. She'd always been a private person and having to repeatedly tell intimate details of her life to perfect strangers. Well, she hated it.

"And how often would you say you had sex at this time, when you weren't 'really trying' as you put it?" Dr Marcs wasn't annoyed at having to repeat her question, she couldn't imagine how difficult a situation this is for women with questions surrounding their fertility.

"Probably about twice a week on average." Emma glanced over at Killian, ignoring the fierce set of his jaw; he hated talking about this even more than she did. "It varies because I have shared custody of my son, Killian's step-son, who stays with us every other week. So finding the time can be hard."

"Yes, I see that you already have a teenage son. And you had him when you were 17, correct?" Emma nodded as the doctor leant forward in her chair. "Ok, could you tell me what happen after your initial thought to let nature take its course?"

"Umm…well we kept that going for 5 months. But obviously nothing was happening. My periods were coming like clockwork every month, same as they have since I was 14." Emma slipped that in, knowing that the doctor would probably ask about her menstrual cycle, they always did. She didn't talk about the time that her period was late by a day on the 5th month, how she ran out and bought a pregnancy test. How her heart broke when they both came up negative and she crumbled to the bathroom floor in tears. How that was the reason for her deciding on a change of tactic. She hadn't talked about that time with any of the doctors she'd seen. How could she? When she hadn't even told Killian? Her gaze fell to floor as she continued. "After that we decided that this was going to need more attention." That was a lie, the decision was all on her. He never called her up on it though, no matter how many times she said it. He just squeezed her hand a little harder to show that he was there, with her, like always. God she didn't deserve this man. "That having more sex would clearly increase the probability of successful conception." That was a phrase a doctor had used a couple of months ago and it had stuck with her. She liked medical terminology, it allowed her to detract slightly from the reality. Make it seem less connected to emotions and children. Well that was the idea anyway. "So it became 4 times a week. Then every day." Her breath hitched as she got to this part, the hardest part. The part that nearly destroyed them all together. Sex became regimented. They no longer made love. The only purpose was to conceive a child. She became obsessed. She and Killian barely talked, every moment that they did seemed to her like a moment to create a child wasted. In the last few months, whenever she got her period, it felt like a part of her died along with their potential child. The doctor cleared her throat and Emma looked up to see both sets of eyes on her, Killian's gaze threaded with worry. How long had she been silent for? She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and steadied her breathing.

"Then it was as often as we could." Killian took over and Emma felt a surge of gratitude. "But still nothing happened. So we decided to seek professional tests, just to be safe."

 _Killian was sat at the bar in The Rabbit Hole, swirling a tumbler of rum in his hand. He had been nursing the same drink for an hour and hadn't taken a single sip. He was just intently watching the amber liquid slosh around the glass. He felt someone clap him on the shoulder and he didn't have to turn to know who it was._

 _"_ _So d'you want to tell me what my son-in-law is doing sitting all alone in a bar on a Tuesday night?" David swung into the stool beside him, shaking his head as the barman began to approach him for a drink._

 _"_ _Not particularly." Killian spoke through gritted teeth, not lifting his gaze from the drink in front of him._

 _"_ _You know I'll get it out of you eventually." David sighed staring at the pirate's profile. "Or would you rather that I ring Emma, maybe she'll tell me." He went to get his phone out of his jacket as Killian rolled his eyes._

 _"_ _Mate, you really don't want to know." He massaged the bridge of his nose between two fingers, having pushed the rum away. He chuckled humourless as David placed the tumbler well out of his way._

 _"_ _Perhaps you're right. I might regret this once I hear what it is. However I know I'll regret it more if I don't find out." The prince smiled encouragingly as his friend turned his head to face him._

 _"_ _It's no mystery where Emma gets it from. You really can be a stubborn arse, you know that?" Killian glared at David, but they both knew that there was real anger behind it. At least not aimed at him._

 _"_ _It's been mentioned." David jested, managing to put a slight smile on Killian's face before it quickly fell away. "I also know that you can be just as stubborn as us Charming's when you put your mind to it."_

 _"_ _Aye, it's been mentioned." Killian smirked, surprising himself with the amount of joviality that he was able to conjure. The two men fell into silence then, David's eyes staying on Killian the whole time. Finally he decided to give in. It surely couldn't make the situation worse. He reached to scratch behind his ear nervously before turning to fully face his friend. "Dave, can I ask you something?"_

 _"_ _If you're asking for permission to marry my daughter, you're over a year late." David's tone was warm as he attempted to keep the atmosphere light._

 _"_ _Not quite, mate." Killian shifted his gaze down to where his hook was balanced on the bar._

 _"_ _Ask away."_

 _"_ _When you and Snow… conceived Emma, did you… was it…" He started shifting uncomfortably and, if David's cough was anything to go by, he felt just as awkward. "Oh bloody hell, Dave, can't you see where I'm going with this?"_

 _"_ _I think so." The prince ran a hand over his face. He had definitely not expected this conversation. But he had asked for it, pressed for it really. And Hook had said that he'd probably regret it. "Snow and I… we… conceived Emma on our honeymoon." By the look on the pirate's face, that was not the answer that he had been looking for. "We'd always known we'd wanted kids, so we didn't want to wait. But every couple is different. Also the Enchanted Forest is much different to here. Here, this world, seems to be more open to let couples decide for themselves. To wait till the time is right. If it ever is." He hoped that his words were helping ease Killian's discomfort, but his jaw had been clenched since he gave his answer. "Hook. Are you and Emma…" David clenched his fist to prevent from thinking about the particular act which his daughter would be involved in. "Are you thinking about having a child?"_

 _"_ _More than that, mate." Killian's voice was bitter. On in the inside he was devastated. A child was a happy ending for so many people. And it seemed like everyone who deserved one, got one when they wanted it. Well he wanted one more anything. He knew that Emma would be a great mum, she was already a great mum. And she definitely deserved to raise one from birth. So he could only see one reason why this wasn't happening for them. It was because of him. After all the terrible deeds he'd committed, of course he didn't deserve a happy ending. He felt like a fool for thinking he'd be able to have one._

 _"_ _So you're trying?" David raised his hand and Killian was half convinced that he was going to punch him for bringing up his daughter's private activities. However the hand clapped him on the back as his father-in-law flashed him a wide smile. "I'm happy for you. Both of you." He slid the forgotten tumbler of rum back in front of Killian. "I know becoming a father is a daunting prospect to face, trust me. But I also know that there's no better feeling in the world than holding your child for the first time. Being able to watch them grow into their very own person, knowing that you created that." Killian couldn't take it anymore. He knew that David meant well, he thought that he helping a man who was about to become a father. Not a man who would probably never be one. Killian stood with such force that his stool clattered to the floor. Throwing down a dollar for the rum he stormed out into the night, ignoring David's calls for him to wait. He heard the exit to the bar open a second after he'd closed it._

 _"_ _Just leave it. Alright, mate?" Killian turned on David, who was now eyeing him with a mixture of worry and confusion._

 _"_ _Hook. Talk me. I can't help you, or Emma, until I know what's going on."_

 _"_ _What's going on is that you, along with it seems everyone else, had children as soon as you wanted to. Emma had Henry without even planning it." David's eyes widened as he realised what the situation was, what his daughter and her husband were going through. However instead of interrupting, he let Hook continue as he knew how cathartic it could be to just let everything out. "But us. We decided to have a child straight after our honeymoon. That was nearly a year ago. And nothing. It's tearing Emma apart and I just…" His breath started to hitch as he ran out of steam. "I just don't know what to do anymore. I'm lost."_

 _"_ _I had no idea." His heart was breaking for the man in front of him. The man who was always ready a joke or a witty quip looked so broken. "Have you told Emma all of this? Does she know how much it's affecting you?"_

 _"_ _I don't want to burden her." Killian sighed and David did with him. He understood what that was like, had kept things from his family on more than occasion in order to protect them. To remain strong. But he also knew that families were strongest when they could be there for each other._

 _"_ _Well then that's where you start. You need to go home now and talk to her about it." David opened the door to his truck, motioning for Killian to get in. The pirate followed him numbly, mind reeling after bearing his soul like that. He knew that David was right, as he annoyingly often was. He just didn't know how to even start telling this to Emma. "You know there are tests right? You can get checked over just to make sure everything's… um… functioning correctly." Killian hummed in acknowledgement, although he hadn't known that this was an option. It put him somewhat at ease to know that they didn't have to be completely in the dark about this. The wonders of this world's medicine never ceased to amaze him._

 _That night Killian had talked to Emma and, although it took some time, she had agreed to go to the doctor._

"So you both went for your first round of tests at your local hospital…um…" The doctor looked back at the files on her computer. "Storybrooke General in Storybrooke, Maine." The couple both nodded, although the doctor wasn't looking at them and it seemed more like a statement than a question. "And Mr Jones your batch of tests came back clear of any abnormalities, which in men usually means that there's no more tests necessary. As for you Ms Swan, the hospital staff advised that you look further into fertility tests at our centre, here in Boston. It says here that you've had two additional rounds of observations with us in the last 3 months?" At this Dr Marcs turned to face Emma, her glasses tilting down as she studied her. It took a moment for her to realise that the doctor wanted an answer and she nodded dumbly. "Right, I have the results from your ultrasound this morning plus the test results from both previous visits, both here and in Storybrooke." She took off her glasses, folding them on the table as she gave the couple a sad smile. Emma froze. This was an obvious tactic that she had learned when giving bad news; without the glasses her face looked much softer, kinder. "I do have some answers for you. Only one of your fallopian tubes has ever been able to produce eggs, this in its self isn't that uncommon. Your periods every other month may have lasted for longer or caused you more discomfort because of this." Emma tried to think back, but her mind was foggy and she honestly couldn't remember anything like that. Maybe if she'd paid more attention. "This already halves the chance of a woman getting pregnant, but in most cases it means that it can just take them longer to conceive. However", Emma had to hold back a sob at that word, "your functional tube has a significant tear, which we know must have happened since your son was born. There are various reasons why this happens, and I will happily go through them if you wish, although we will probably never know what exactly caused this to happen to you."

"What does all of this mean?" Killian's voice sounded muffled through the thudding in Emma's head. Her vision was blurry with tears and it was all she could do to not crumble into sobs.

"It means that very few, if any, of the eggs that are released are making it into the womb. Now there is surgery to stitch up the tube, but the likelihood of conception from an egg released from that tube after that procedure drops significantly low. We normally carry it out on women who have ruptured tubes, to prevent further issues arising and to protect the second tube. In your case Emma, as it's a relatively small tear which isn't causing you any discomfort, I personally would advise that you hold off on surgery. Not to mention all surgeries come with risks, and the womb could be damaged during the procedure."

"So what you're saying is this is it. There's no way for us to have a child. I mean you obviously don't think surgery is the way to go." Killian was trying not to let his frustration morph into the anger against the woman. After all she's the first one to give them any sort of reason for why this wasn't happening for them. By this point tears were cascading down Emma's face as she tried to comprehend the situation.

"Not at all. There are still options. IVF has proven quite successful in cases such as this. Especially when the husband's sperm are as healthy as yours are." Killian was sure that that was the weirdest compliment he had ever received, but all he could focus on now was his wife. His wife who was biting her lip and shaking under the force of attempting to stay under control. "I know this is a lot to take in. I can give you a minute to talk it over here, or you can go home now and set up an appointment in the next week. To give yourselves some time."

"Emma." Killian crouched down in front of her chair, taking her hands in his. "What do you want to do sweetheart?"

"Take me home." Emma's broken whisper could only be heard by her husband. "Please." Killian nodded up at her with a loving smile.

"We're going to go home. Should we make the appointment at the desk on our way out?" Killian stood to address the doctor, keeping Emma's hands in his grasp.

"There's no need." Dr Marcs shook her head as she fumbled on her desk for a card. "Just email me when you get in and we'll set up a time that suits all of us. I'll also attach a link to a page that lists all the options and goes through them in detail for you. Therefore when we talk next week you may have some idea of which route you would like to take. Take care until then." She held out her hand to shake his, seemingly unfazed by the feel of his prosthetic on her skin.

"Thank you." Killian smiled before helping Emma stand from her chair. "Come on love, let's sail away." And together they walked out of the room and the hospital, Emma's head buried in his shoulder as her body shook with silent sobs.

Killian ran up and unlocked the house before going back down the steps for Emma. He'd held her outside of the hospital until her body had stopped shaking with sobs. She hadn't said a word since the doctor's office, hardly making a sound, and Killian knew that nothing that he said right now could make it better. He wasn't even sure if she could hear him. Looking at Emma it was clear that she wasn't going to move on her strength alone. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he reached across his wife to undo her seatbelt. Killian put one arm under her knees and one arm behind her back, hoisting her out of the car to cradle her against his chest. Breathing a sigh of relief as she put her arms around his neck, he made his way back up to their house. Their home. A home he had bought with the future in mind. A future that contained children. Hence all of the empty rooms waiting to be filled. He willed the tears away from his eyes, hoping that Emma could still take strength for him even when he didn't feel any himself. He made to set her down on the couch, only to have her shake her head against his shoulder and her arms tighten around his neck.

"Emma?" He whispered as he pulled back slightly to look down at her. As soon as she lifted her eyes to meet his, and he saw the sheer tiredness that resided there, he changed course. He carried her up the stairs with a fair amount of practised ease. As he carried her through the doorway into their bedroom, he couldn't help thinking of their wedding night; as he always did. Of how hopeful and unburdened they were as he carried her over this particular threshold for the first time. Killian was for once thankful that Emma had made the bed her way this morning; leaving the duvet folded up at the bottom of the bed. This allowed him to lay his wife down on the sheets and then proceed to pull the duvet over her with little effort. She looked so peaceful that he almost forgotten her earlier torment. The torment that she must still be feeling. That they were both feeling. Her eyelids were already closed and her breathing was less ragged than before, so Killian decided to let her sleep. He leant over and brushed his lips gently on her cheek. Giving her one last loving glance, he turned towards the door. However he halted as he felt Emma's hand entwine itself with his own.

"Love?" Killian questioned as he looked down at her, seeing that her eyes were now open.

"Stay." Emma's voice was hoarse from all the sobbing. Not to mention all of the emotions swirling around inside her right now, fighting for dominance. "Please."

"Whatever your heart desires, Swan. You know that." Killian smiled gently as he sat up against the headboard. Emma crawled into his waiting arms, resting her head on his chest.

"Apart from a baby." Emma only meant to think those words, but her husband's sharp intake of breath let her know that he had heard them. Lifting her gaze to his face she saw his eyes shining with unshed tears. She squeezed her eyes shut, berating herself for slipping up. "I'm sorry."

"Don't." Killian spoke harsher than he intended, but he was determined that she knew that he wasn't blaming her for any of this. That none of it was her fault, so she needed not to blame herself. Like he knew that she'd been ever since the doctor's office. Before then, even. "Emma, you have absolutely nothing to apologise for. Not one thing. Ok, love?" He kept his hand in hers as he started to run his hook through her hair. He felt Emma nod against his chest and knew that she didn't believe him. But right now was not the time to labour the point. They talk about it properly tomorrow. "Now get some rest, I'll be right here with you." Emma knew that that was more than just him saying that he would be here when she awoke. No he was telling her that he be with her through this, and through everything else life threw at them. She knew this already though. She'd known that he'd be by her side for as long as she wanted him for years now. Marrying her had only further proven his commitment to her. Still he found the means to remind her that he was with her every day. And still she loved to hear it.

"I love you." Emma mumbled as she kissed his chest, just where his heart is. She loved how she could still feel it stutter at hearing those words for the hundredth time. She was finally giving in to the insistent pull of sleep as she felt Killian's warm lips press against into her hair.

"Aye, Swan. And I you." Emma felt warmth flood through at those words. And as sleep overtook her, she couldn't help think that maybe they could get through this. And that together, maybe, they could overcome anything. If she could just hold on to hope.


	2. Chapter 2

The little yellow bug came to a stop outside its destination. Killian was surprised by how small the house was. Emma wasn't. From what she could see, it looked like a decent house to be placed in. Although she knew from experience that looks could be deceiving.

"Ready, love?" Killian asked gently, trying to mask his concern at the glazed look in her eyes. She turned and shot him her best attempt at a smile, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. Killian grinned at the contact and turned his head to capture her lips with his. It was a short sweet kiss, offering them both comfort and support.

"Let's do this." Emma breathed as she pulled away. Killian tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, allowing them to enjoy this moment for just a little longer. Then he flashed his wife his signature smile before getting out of the car. Emma let out a shaky breath as she too turned to exit the vehicle. She slipped her hand into his as soon as she could and together they crossed the street towards the house which could change everything. Their bodies both hummed with anticipation as Killian knocked on the door with his prosthetic hand. A young boy, probably about 10 years old, came into view and stared at them through the glass of the door. When he made no move to open it, Emma offered him what she hoped was a comforting smile. However the boy just continued to look curiously at the couple. Then a middle aged woman entered the scene, heading straight to the boy with a questioning look on her round face. The boy shrugged towards the door and the woman turned her head to see what had him so intrigued. Realization dawned on her face as she quickly made her way to open the door.

"Oh hello there." The woman stepped aside to allow the newcomers to enter, a wide grin causing her laughter lines to become even deeper. "You must be Jones'. I'm Mrs Bradey."

"Killian Jones." Killian let go of Emma's hand so that he could extend a greeting to the woman, who immediately accepted. "And this is my wife, Emma Swan." He gestured towards Emma, his voice rimmed with pride as it always was when she was the topic of discussion.

"It's lovely to meet you." Emma went to offer her hand, but was quickly pulled into a hug by the stranger. She tensed only momentarily before returning the affectionate gesture; she'd gotten used to such physical welcomes over the years of living in Storybrooke.

"Now do come in lovelies, the couch is just through there." Mrs Bradey pointed into a cosy living room, which had multiple mismatching rugs thrown over every piece of furniture and a functioning fireplace covered by a steel grate. "I'm going to put the kettle on. Tea or coffee?"

"Any hot chocolate going?" It was only then that Emma noticed that the young boy hadn't exited the area, as his small voice came from behind them. She turned to see him standing in the doorway with a wide eyes and a grin on his face.

"There could be, if you come and help me out." The social worker chuckled as the boy ran eagerly past her into the kitchen. She shook her head as she addressed the adults. "Sorry about Luke, he's always got so much energy. Anyways can I get you anything to drink?"

"Two coffees, one black one with sugar if it's not an inconvenience?" Killian replied with his trademark charming grin.

"No trouble at all. I'll go get those sorted and then we'll talk things through." Mrs Bradey then went in the direction, turning round when she got to the doorway. "Oh do help yourself to some biscuits, won't you?" And with she disappeared to continue her hostess duties.

"Does she remind you of anyone?" Emma settled on the couch as Killian got himself a chocolate bourbon.

"Your mother?" He smirked as Emma nodded her head in affirmation. "Aye, let's not hope they ever get together. Neither of them would stop trying to make the other feel comfortable." Taking a second treat for good measure, he sat down next to his wife. "Not that I'm complaining."

"Well I can see that." Emma smirked as she wiped a crumb from the corner of his mouth. "That's your last one, by the way."

"But, Swan…" Killian whined giving her full puppy dog eyes as he reached for the plate. Emma managed to smack his hand away before he reached his prize.

"Excuse me buddy, remember I've seen what the future could hold for you. And it's not pretty." Emma fake chastised as her husband full on pouted at her.

"Fine." Killian huffed and slumped back into the plump couch. "I'm still drinking rum, though." Emma laughed at her pirate's defiant mutter.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Emma whispered in his ear. She saw him visibly gulp at her tone, but before he could give a response she pulled back. His eyes darkened slightly and she unconsciously wet her lips with her tongue. However, their trance didn't last long as Mrs Bradey entered with a tray.

"Oh am I interrupting?" Mrs Bradey inquired light-heartedly, causing the couple to blush. She set the drinks on the coffee table in front of them as she winked at Emma. "I don't blame you to be honest." Emma's face turned redder as Killian looked at her with a smug grin.

"Why thank you, milady." Killian accepted the black coffee that was handed to him with his usual charm. Emma shook her head in good humour as she picked up her hot drink.

"So I must say I was happy to receive your file. You definitely seemed like a perfect couple, especially with your glowing references, and meeting you today has already confirmed that." Mrs Bradey sat herself down in a wicker chair facing the couple. Emma shifted slightly uncomfortably, she'd never been good at taking compliments. Killian seemed to take them in his stride, although she knew that inside he had trouble believing them. He sensed her discomfort and took her hand in his, gently rubbing his thumb along the back as he always did. "It's sad that people just seem less likely to adopt lately, there's always so many children searching for a loving home. I do my part of course, but I can't change the world on my own. We can all make one or two children's lives that bit brighter though."

"That's why we're here. We've both known what it's like to feel alone in life, especially at a young age, and we don't want any child feeling that way." Killian spoke with such eloquence that tears came to both women's eyes. He always prided himself on good form, on doing what he thought was right, and Emma loved him for it. Even if she didn't always listen right away.

 _Killian returned home and headed to the kitchen with the takeout he'd picked up from Granny's. He stopped short at the sight of Emma sat at the table, staring intently at Henry's laptop. Schooling his features into what he hoped was convincingly nonchalant, he went over to greet his wife._

 _"_ _Hello there, love." Killian bent down to kiss her forehead, clearly startling her out of her daze._

 _"_ _Hey." Emma sighed, eyes barely leaving the screen in front of her. Killian set the food on the counter before tilting her chin to meet his gaze. She reluctantly complied and his heart stuttered at the redness to her eyes; he hoped that it was down to looking at that infernal device for too long._

 _"_ _Swan, you alright?" Killian's voice was already laced with worry, something of a natural state since they heard the final doctor's verdict a few weeks prior. His wife hadn't left her bed during the first days, and ever since had been more withdrawn than usual._

 _"_ _Hmm." Emma hummed as she went to shut the laptop and end the conversation, but Killian caught the lid with his hook._

 _"_ _Emma, talk to me. Please." Killian cupped her cheek with his hand, hoping that she would relax enough to open up to him. She slowly lifted the screen back up, standing from the chair to allow her husband to see for himself. Killian swallowed past a lump in his throat as he saw that it was open on an adoption website. The adoption website that he had been looking at the night previously. Secretly been looking at. Or so he had thought. "Emma…"_

 _"_ _Henry has clearly been doing his own research. I mean how does he know about what they told us? Did you tell him? Cause I surely didn't." Emma started pacing the kitchen now, her mind reeling with all of the emotions she had yet to deal with properly. "Or does he just already assume that we can't do it? My own son has already… already decided that… that I… we can't… can't…" She was becoming hysterical now and Killian rushed to comfort her. He laid his hand, and hook, on her shoulders to still her movements._

 _"_ _Sssh, sweetheart it's ok." Killian looked deep into his love's eyes, which were filled to the brim with tears. Emma fell into his chest and his arms came around to hold her tightly against him._

 _"_ _It's just… Why didn't he come to us?" Emma whispered into his shirt, breaking Killian's heart a little bit more. He laid a kiss in her hair, taking in the cinnamon scent of her shampoo._

 _"_ _It was me." He winced as Emma pulled back slightly in confusion._

 _"_ _Wh-What?" She stuttered out, not quite understanding the situation._

 _"_ _I wanted to look further into the options available to us, so I asked the lad if I could use his laptop." Killian took a step towards Emma, but she dodged out of his reach. "I'm sorry Emma, I didn't want to push you, I just wanted to be prepared when you were ready."_

 _"_ _I see. So I'm the one whose been holding us back, right?" Emma held her hands up to stop him from approaching her further._

 _"_ _No, that's not it –" Killian wanted to hold her in his arms again, but he knew better than to try right now._

 _"_ _It seems very clear to me." Emma hardly felt the hot tears fall down her cheeks, she was so trapped in her own anger. "I'm sorry I can't just bounce back up like you do. Sorry that I'm taking time to process this. Sorry that I'm the reason that we can't have a baby!" She turned to storm up the stairs, but Killian's hook caught her wrist preventing her from leaving._

 _"_ _Emma, listen to me. I don't blame you for this love. Any of this. It's just one of those things." He turned his wife back towards him, trying to implore her to listen to him. It physically hurt him to see the amount of doubt and pain in her eyes. "I know that you think that somewhere deep down I blame you, resent you even, but I don't. Emma, there is not a single part of my being, not a single shred of my soul that holds anything but pure love and admiration for you. Please believe me." Emma stared at him for a few moments before closing what little space remained between them, capturing his lips with her own. Killian was at first taken aback by the kiss, but he soon recovered and poured all of his love into the passionate embrace; attempting to prove to her that his words rang true. They only pulled back when they were both gasping for breath, resting their foreheads together to keep as close as possible. "One more thing." He pulled back slightly so that their eyes met. "Promise me that you'll stop blaming yourself."_

 _"_ _Killian, I…" Emma trailed off, averting her gaze downwards away from her hopeful pirate._

 _"_ _Please, Swan. At least promise that you'll try." Killian's broken plea forced Emma to look back up at her true love._

 _"_ _I promise." It was worth it just to see the light return to his eyes again. This time it was him who instigated the kiss; a much slower gentler brush of lips, but holding no less meaning._

"Well then, let's get working on making that happen for you two." Mrs Bradey dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief, overcome by the amount of the love radiating from the couple. "Now your agency social worker sent over a few files on some of our children, correct?"

"Yes he did. It's just we'd proffer to meet them in person, really get to know them instead of what's happened to them." Emma tried not to sound bitter, but she'd always hated how clinical the adoption process could be. She felt that she was never chosen as a foster kid because her file made her sound like too much hard work. There was rarely an opportunity to meet prospective parents, and even then she'd be lined up with a bunch of other children. No matter how hard she tried there always seemed to be one cuter, or friendlier, or cleverer.

"Oh hun I completely agree. It just seems so impersonal doesn't it? All the kids we have here are good kids, all special in their own way. Some of that just doesn't come across on paper." The woman took a sip of her tea as she smiled warmly at Emma. "I do have one child in mind for the two of you. A young girl, Katie. However, you would need to see her file before I introduce you. She's a delicate case." Mrs Bradey made her way to her desk at the far end of the room, unlocking the door which she kept all of her children's important documents. Katie's file was on top, as she had been looking through it earlier in the hopes that the Jones's would be a good match. She handed the file over to Killian as she sat back down.

"What can you tell us about her?" Emma's mouth was dry with anticipation that this could be it. She could be getting a daughter.

"Well she's seven years old, although I think she looks about 5." Mrs Bradey chuckled lightly and Emma could see how much she genuinely cared for the children she looked after. "She's such a sweetheart. She's very quiet, barely talks but she's smart. You know those kids that you can just tell are wise beyond their years." The woman's expression changed at that, the light in her eyes not quite as bright as before. "That could be down to what she's been through. Too much for anyone, let alone a girl of her age…" With a sad smile on her face she gestured to the file in Killian's lap. He took this as his que to open the official booklet.

"Swan…" Killian breathed out when his eyes fell on the picture of the young girl with a shy smile. She had long light brown hair, almost an exact combination of his and his wife's. Her light blue eyes reminded him of a clear sky as they stared up at him. She still had those chubby cheeks that children have, which did make her look even younger. All in all she was beautiful and Killian could already see himself loving her. Emma grasped his arm with her hands, resting her head on his shoulder as she too was taken away by the little girl.

"She's adorable." Emma spoke gently not tearing her eyes away from the photo.

"Aye, she most certainly is." Killian looked at Mrs Bradey who nodded at his statement, waiting for him to continue. He passed the photo to Emma to hold in her hands as he read the information underneath. The beginning was just simple facts; name, age, gender, height (etc). He skipped over the likes and dislikes because he wanted to learn about those from her, wanted to visibly see how she felt about them. His heart stopped as he read about her biological family, what had happened in order for her to end up in the foster system. His hand tightened on the file as rage and disgust boiled in his chest. Emma snapped her eyes away from the picture as she felt his muscles tense under her hands.

"Killian, what is it?" Emma asked as she saw his jaw jump with anger at what he had read. The pirate didn't want to say it out loud, he didn't want Emma to learn the news full stop.

"It is truly heart-breaking to know that there are people who would do such things." Mrs Bradey had been watching Killian and she knew as soon as he had reached the details of Katie's past.

"How. Her father. That man." Killian bit out as Emma took the file into her lap, scanning quickly as her heart beat increased. She found what had her husband so enraged in a matter of seconds. The world seemed to slow to a stop around her as she read about this little girl's first few years. Katie's father was a criminal, a drunk who had always been on the wrong side of the law. Her mother wasn't much better. She was a drug addict who sold her body to anyone for the right price. The file said she vanished when Katie was around 3 years old, leaving her in the care of her father. The police arrested him when Katie was 5 and she was taken in by social services. There was significant evidence of physical and sexual trauma found on Katie. The samples collected were traced back to her biological father, with the charges of child molestation being added to his sentence. Emma felt like she was going to be sick, her hands shaking as the words blurred in front of her.

"As you can imagine these events have had a significant effect on Katie, which is why I had to inform you of them. I'll give you two a minute." Mrs Bradey took the tray with the empty mugs out to the kitchen. The couple sat there in silence until a sob escaped from Emma's lips. Killian's arms were around her in an instant, holding her shaking body against him and whispering gentle shushes into her hair.

"How could someone do that, Killian?" Emma gasped out as his embrace slowly calmed her racing emotions.

"I… I don't know, love." Killian lifted her head so that he could wipe away the few tears that had slipped down his love's cheeks. "It's unimaginable to think of such a monster." He laid a gentle soothing kiss to both of her eyelids before continuing. "Now, does this change anything for you, Emma?" His wife shook her head defiantly causing a small smile appear on his face. "Cause this is going to be messy and complicated and hard…" Emma laid a finger on his lips to stop him.

"Life is messy and complicate and hard. It's also brilliant." Emma breathed out, removing her finger from his lips before he could affect her any more than he had done. "Unless you don't want to do this?" She tried to keep the fear that he wanted to walk away from her voice.

"Swan, nothing would make me happier than giving that little girl the love that she so desperately needs." Killian raised her hand to lay kisses on each of her knuckles, making her eyes shine with affection. Mrs Bradey entered the room at that point, her heart warming at the sweet display.

"So, are you ready to meet Katie?" The woman had heard the conversation from the kitchen, as her years of running a group home had forced her to develop sonic hearing. She also hadn't been trying that hard not to hear if she was honest with herself.

"I believe we are." Killian got off the couch offering his hand to Emma to help her up. He stood aside to let the two woman lead the way, happy to follow his Swan.

"You've got yourself quite the Prince Charming, there." Mrs Bradey gushed to Emma as they ascended the stairs. Emma couldn't help but giggle as Killian huffed under his breath at being compared to her father.

"You could say that. I've always thought that he's more of a pirate." Emma turned to wink playfully at Killian before continuing on.

"We've got two girl's and one boy's room in this house. The girl's rooms are at this end, with the boy's and my room down there." They came to the top of the stairs and stood in front of door painted with purple flowers. "Some of the girl's painted that a few months ago, isn't it lovely?" Her voice became much more of a whisper as she continued. "Some of the girls are playing outside, but if I know Katie she'll be in here." The woman then knocked on the gently knocked on the door, waiting for a response. A small hum of acknowledgment came from within, apparently an invitation as Mrs Bradey proceeded to enter the room. "Katie, sweetie, you know how I said that I might how some people here to see you?" She waited for the girl's second hum of understanding. "Well, they're here now and would like to meet you. Is that ok?" The couple outside didn't hear any response that time, but a few seconds later the door swung open. "Do come in, won't you." Mrs Bradey stood aside, gesturing that sit on the bed opposite Katie's. The room had two bunkbeds and not much room for much else to be honest. But there were flowers and hearts painted all over the lilac walls, with multiple colourful trinkets hanging from the ceiling in the middle. Each bed had a different themed duvet set covered with soft toys and pillows. It was certainly the nicest foster room Emma had ever been in, leaving her feeling guilty as jealousy pulled at her.

"Hi Katie, it's lovely to meet you." Emma smiled as she sat opposite the little girl, who was hugging a teddy in her lap. Her big eyes stared over the toy's head at the newcomers. Mrs Bradey went to sit next to Katie, slowly resting her hand on her back. The young girl tensed ever so slightly before accepting the touch, and Emma's heart broke all over again for what she had been subjected to.

"Mrs Bradey here has been telling us what a lovely lass you are, and I must say what an honour it is to be awarded your counsel." Killian bowed his head in a gesture befitting the Enchanted Forest. When he lifted his head, Katie had lowered the bear slightly and a small trace of a smile graced her lips. Emma shook her head softly at the sight of Captain Hook working his magic yet again. Her heart was fit to burst as her mind flooded with images of him playing with their daughter, which was not uncommon over the past few years. However now it wasn't some fantasy girl that her subconscious had conjured, it was Katie. She cleared her mind of those thoughts pretty quickly, knowing that the world didn't always work out perfectly. That this choice was as much up to Katie as it was to them, even more so in fact. They'd just have to wait and see whether they would get the chance to be blessed with this young girl. Whether they could start on mending their hearts whilst mending hers. And although her skepticism told her mind not to get too attached at this point, her heart was already making a space for their daughter.


	3. Chapter 3

Emma smiled over at her husband, who was inspecting the couch for what must have been the fifth time that day. His obsession when it came to cleanliness had taken a lot of getting used to at the first, but she had soon found it endearing. It was simply another thing that made him who he was. And she wouldn't have him any other way.

Killian could feel his wife's gaze as he placed a freshly plumped cushion back in its rightful place. After giving the couch one of final look over, at least for now anyway, he swaggered over to his wife.

"Everything ship shape, Captain?" Emma smiled wider as she handed her hardworking man a glass of water.

"Aye, milady, I believe so." Killian smirked as he accepted the water, gulping it down greedily. Emma tried to hide the way her breath caught at the sight of his adam's apple bobbing enthusiastically. However, she was betrayed by her tongue unconsciously swiping across her bottom lip. Killian's eyes lit up at the obvious effect he was having on his wife. His grin turned smug as he placed the empty glass on the kitchen table. "Now I think I'll go engross myself in a novel until our special guest arrives." Despite his words, he made no move to exit the room. In fact he closed the space between them, leaning over to whisper in her ear. "Unless there is something else the lady wishes?" Emma visibly shuddered at his low sultry tone. She would like nothing more than to let her pirate have his way with her; it had been too long since they had used the kitchen table for that purpose. However, she was well aware that they didn't have time to indulge themselves right now. She stepped back to put some distance between them, hoping to diffuse the heated atmosphere. Emma let out a laugh at the pout that appeared on her pirate's face. "Is the lady truly satisfied?" He took a step towards her, not willing to give in that easy. At that moment the doorbell rang throughout the house. "To be continued" Killian winked mischievously before going to answer the door. Emma breathed a sigh of relief, not knowing if she'd have had the strength to deny him again. Taking a moment to steady her nerves she moved into the hallway.

"Killian, it's so good to see you again." Mrs Bradey immediately pulled him into a crushing hug, one which he quickly reciprocated. Having met the woman a few times now, the couple were well used to her friendly nature.

"I can assure you the pleasure is all mine." Killian pulled back and proceeded to raise Mrs Bradey's hand to his lips, which earned him a good-natured eye roll from Emma.

"Always so charming." Mrs Bradey gushed as she made her way towards Emma. The blonde accepted the older woman's embrace with open arms. "And how are you my dear?" Although the woman spoke in her usual loud voice, Emma barely registered the question as she looked towards the doorway. Her heart melted as her husband knelt down in front of a tiny girl cuddling her a stuffed bear to her chest. Katie. Mrs Bradey was at first slightly concerned by the lack of response she had received but, as she followed Emma's line of vision, she instantly understood. It touched her greatly how much this couple cared about the young girl, especially after such a short length of time.

"How is the young lass today then?" Killian spoke softly, trying not to left his nerves reach his voice. This was it. His eyes landed on the small pink suitcase on the porch and his heart rate increased. Katie was here, in their house, for a trial period. To see if they could make this situation work for everyone involved, most of all her. To see if they could truly be a family one day. Katie stared up at him with big eyes before shuffling over to Mrs Bradey, keeping her gaze on Killian. Emma sensed her husband's slight uncertainty, the way his back tensed as the girl moved away from him. She made her way over to his crouched form, giving his shoulder a comforting squeeze before helping him up. She could see the self-doubt in his eyes even as he smiled down at her, and it hurt. But right now they had to focus on their guests. On the reason why they were here.

"Killian, why don't you get some hot drinks sorted while we take Katie up to see her room?" Emma turned around to face the others. "Would you like that Katie?" The girl seemed to contemplate this for a moment, before nodding her head. "Cool, it's just up these stairs."

"Lead the way, dear." Mrs Bradey's warm smile offered Emma some reassurance as she started to climb the stairs. Killian handed the woman the suitcase to take with her, watching the females disappear out of sight. He waited until he was certain that he was alone before slumping down in a kitchen chair.

"Bloody hell." He sighed running a hand over his face. He hadn't thought it possible for the lass to be shyer than when he'd first met her, but alas he'd been proven wrong. She seemed to have cowered away from him, which given her past wasn't exactly surprising. Putting a stop to a thought that would only anger him, Killian got started on making some hot drinks. At least Emma seemed to have made some progress, he thought to himself, smiling at Katie's seemingly positive reaction to the idea of having her own room.

Upstairs Emma walked to the room at the end of the hall. She hadn't realised just how big a step this was until she stopped in front of the closed door. She focused on steadying her breathing as she waited for the others to join her. A small gasp came from behind her and she turned to see a pair of blue eyes staring at the door. Katie reached out her hand slowly to lightly touch the glittery block letters that Killian had put on the day before; **KATI** **E** in alternating pink and purple. Emma blinked back tears, for what she was sure wouldn't be the only time that day, at the action.

"Katie?" Emma tried to keep her voice as soft as possible, but the young girl jumped all the same. She withdrew her hand and looked down at the floor, as if she was worried she had done something wrong. Emma's heart broke for her. She knew exactly what that was like, having spent so many years trying to do the right things so that families would keep her. In the end though, nothing she did seemed good enough so she stopped trying. "Do you like them?" She waited for a response, but Katie's eyes remained fixated on her feet. Mrs Bradey nodded for her to keep going. "Cause if you don't that's ok. We can take them off and…" Emma didn't even have to finish her sentence before the girl's gaze shot up, shaking her head at the suggestion. The ladies grinned at how cute she looked in that moment. "So you do like them?" Katie nodded her head in her affirmative. "In that case, they're here to stay. Now let's see inside shall we?" Emma held the door open for Katie to go in first, but the girl seemed hesitant to enter.

"Go ahead, sweetie. It's all yours if you want it to be." Mrs Bradey's encouragement got Katie to step into the room at least. "You're doing great, hun." The lady whispered as she passed by Emma into the room. Emma answered with a smile, although inside she didn't feel like she was really doing anything. She hung back in the doorway, watching Katie tentatively walk around the room. The girl seemed to touch everything as if she was afraid that it wasn't really there, like it would disappear if she used too much pressure. She stroked the duvet set, which was the same pattern that she'd had at the home; the books had suggested that having something familiar may help the child to settle in. Noticing the girl's longing looks at the bed, Mrs Bradey stepped up next to her. "Why don't you take a seat? Give it a try, huh?" Katie bit her bottom lip and looked towards Emma, as if asking for her permission.

"Killian spent a long time choosing it, I know he'd like to know what you think of it." Emma entered the room, crouching down so that she was below her. Katie smiled shyly at the idea that so many people cared about what she thought about all of this. Up until this point she thought that Mrs Bradey was the only adult who would show her kindness. Maybe it was time to rethink her rule, she thought as she climbed onto the bed. She began to sink into the mattress ever so slightly, the soft fluffy feel making her think of a cloud. She placed her bear at her side as she ran her free hand over the duvet, imagining what it would be like to sleep on a cloud. Mrs Bradey sat down beside her, warmed by the happiness radiating of the young girl. Katie lifted her head to meet Emma's hopeful gaze. "What d'you think, sweetie?"

Katie felt her smile grow wider at the pet name Emma had used. That was another thing that she thought only Mrs Bradey would ever do, only her who would ever see her like that. "It's like a cloud." She hadn't really processed that she was going to answer out loud, it just sort of slipped out. She saw tears come to Emma's eyes and immediately though that that was wrong. That she should have stayed quiet. She felt tears threatening at the thought that she would never see this room again. Never see Emma or Killian again. However, she blinked the tears away; having learnt early on that crying only made things worse. Emma, on the other hand, felt like her heart was going to burst at hearing her speak for the first time. She was certain that there wasn't a sweeter sound in the world. However, she saw the smile disappear from the girl's face and realised that she thought she was in trouble.

"Wow really?" Emma laughed lightly in an attempt to reassure the seven year old. "That's good right?" She felt relief wash over her as a small smile returned to Katie's face. The girl placed her bear in her lap, burying her face in the golden fur. The women looked at her in silence for a few moments, taking in the precious sight.

"Katie, why don't you stay up here for a short while, and we'll go have a chat downstairs? Does that sound ok to you?" Mrs Bradey stood up from the bed after receiving little more than a mumbled sound from the child. Emma hoped that she'd be able to learn the different meanings for Katie's small noises. The quicker the better, she thought as she followed the social worker out of the room. "I don't think that could have gone any better." The lady laid her hand on Emma's arm as they descended the stairs.

"Well that sounds promising." Killian voiced from the entryway, having stood from the kitchen at the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Very. Your wife's a natural." Mrs Bradey gushed as took her seat at the kitchen table, which Killian pulled out for her. "And as charming as you are."

"My pleasure, milady." The pirate went to pull out Emma's chair for her, something that he still did every so often. She just shook her head, kissing him on the cheek in a way of thanks.

"So Katie liked the room, I take it?" Killian put a tray of biscuits down before sitting in between the women.

"She definitely did. Especially the bed." Mrs Bradey spoke through the biscuit crumbs. Killian's eyes lit up as he turned to Emma, who was sporting a wide smile.

"She said it was like a cloud." Emma grasped her husband's hand as his jaw dropped open.

"She…Katie said that?" Killian felt slightly breathless.

"That she did. I've never known her speak so soon around people. I think she surprised herself."

"She definitely surprised me." Emma laughed nervously. She hoped Killian didn't feel bad about missing it. Although, by the look on his face, he seemed delighted.

They spoke for a little longer; working out the details and making arrangements for Mrs Bradey's visit in two weeks' time. This was a two week trial period after all. If it all went smoothly, for everyone involved, then they could look into the long term. Even get the ball rolling on adopting Katie as their own.

"You ok, love?" Killian leaned towards his wife, once Mrs Bradey had gone to say her farewells to Katie.

"Uh huh…" Emma let out a sigh at his sceptical raise of his eyebrow. "I am. It's just…I can't believe we're actually doing this. Like now."

"Do you still want to do this? Because if it not I would think it much better to say so now rather-" He was silenced by Emma's finger pressing on his lips.

"Of course I do, Killian. It's just taken us so long to get here, to what feels like a new happy beginning. I want it to be perfect." It still surprised Emma sometimes, how easy it was to talk to her true love.

"Aye, love, I feel the same way." Killian raised his hand to cup her cheek, bringing their lips together in gentle kiss. "I know you, Swan, and I know that I'm better when I'm with you. You have such a loving heart, Emma, and I don't doubt that the lass will thrive on it. I've yet to see you fail. I'd be shocked if I ever did."

"I do love you, you know." Emma blushed as she leant her head on his shoulder.

"That I do. Though I'll never tire of hearing it." The pirate laid a kiss to the top of her head.

"Oh, look at the two of you." Mrs Bradey exclaimed as she rounded the corner into the kitchen. The couple smiled, long since used to the woman's appreciation for their relationship.

"How is she?" Emma pulled away from her husband and started to clear the table.

"Well, she definitely likes that bed." The woman chuckled lightly as shrugged on her coat. "She's fallen asleep up there, bless her."

"Is she ok?" Killian glanced at the clock on the wall; it was barely mid-afternoon.

"Oh yes she's fine, don't worry yourself. Katie does often nap, especially seeing as she didn't sleep much last night. I've left a note for her, with my number saying that she can ring me when she wakes up if she'd like. Also she can call me anytime, day or night, I'll answer. That applies to the two of you also."

"Thanks. For everything." Emma initiated the hug goodbye and Mrs Bradey reciprocated the embrace.

"Aye, you've been most kind." Killian received his own hug from the woman as she exited the house. The couple then went to check on Katie; who was indeed sleeping soundly in her bed, clutching her teddy to her chest. Leaving the door to her room open, they left her to her slumber. Turning on Netflix, Emma cuddled up to her husband on the sofa to watch some old comedy show.

Half way through the second episode, a sound came from upstairs. Pausing the show, Emma propped her head up to listen for it. Killian's ears had perked up too and he tensed slightly under his wife. A scream sounded from upstairs, sending them both to their feet. They ran up that stairs and into the young girl's room. Katie was sat up in bed, blanket thrown off of her, clutching her teddy to her chest. And screaming.

"Katie, sweetie…" Emma slowly approached the terrified child, not wishing to spook her further. "Katie, its ok." The girl's screams stopped, her scared eyes staring past Emma at Killian.

"That's right lass, you're safe." Killian stepped into the room, intent on soothing the seven year old. The girl's cries began to gain volume once more as she shook her head violently. Killian read the signs hard and clear, stopping in his tracks.

"Katie, it's just us. Me and Killian. You're safe." Emma kept her voice steady although her heart was beating fast. This girl was having a panic attack, something she herself had experience with. Katie's breathing was getting quicker, the breaths short gasps as the little body tried to get air. All the while she wouldn't take her gaze off of Killian. Emma looked up at him. It was clear that he'd made the same connection. "Killian, I think it might be better if you…" She pleaded with her husband, seeing the look of defeat return to his face.

"It would seem so." And with that the pirate left the scene. Katie already started to calm after his departure.

Killian got himself a drink of rum downstairs, not bothering to turn on the lights although the sun had started to set. Sitting in the darkness he mulled over the events. He hated what Katie had been through to make this happen. He was presuming that it had been a dream, maybe even containing a flashback, which caused her to get like this. He was pleased that Emma seemed to be able to help her, to relate to her. He hated what she had been through to make that happen.

 _Killian awoke to find himself alone in the bed he shared with his wife. With a frown he reached over to feel her side of the bed. It was still warm. Warm and slightly damp. Like it was after she'd had a nightmare. The bad dreams plagued them both less and less as time went on, but they still experienced them on occasion. Over the past couple of years, however, Emma would wake him if she had one; or she would at least remain in their bed. The door to their en-suite_ _was open and the room was pitch black. She clearly wasn't in there. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Killian went to find his wife._

 _The whole house was dark, and eerily silent. As he descended the stairs, however, a small thrumming noise reached his ears. Stepping onto the flat hardwood flooring, Killian got a fright at the sight of Emma. She was sat on one of the kitchen chairs, drumming her fingers against the table._

 _"_ _Emma?" Killian asked as he reached to turn on a lamp, adding a soft golden glow to the downstairs. She didn't answer him, didn't register his presence at all. "Emma?" He spoke louder this time, coming to sit across from her. He reached out to grasp his wife's hand, stilling her movements. She looked up at him with red rimmed eyes._

 _"_ _Killian?" Emma didn't want him to find her, not this time. Because she knew he'd get her to talk about it. "Sorry, did I wake you?"_

 _"_ _What happened, love? Was it a nightmare?" He felt her bristle under his touch. Even so she plastered a measly smile onto her face._

 _"_ _What? I'm fine. Let's go to bed." She went to get up, but Killian's stormy gaze stopped her._

 _"_ _Emma, please. Talk to me." Killian used his stump to push some stray hairs away from her eyes._

 _"_ _It's nothing." Emma couldn't even make that sound like the truth._

 _"_ _Is it about what we heard today? About what happened to little Katie?" Even thinking about what that young girl had been through, at the hands of a monster, made Killian's blood boil. Emma merely cast her eyes to their hands, as a tear slipped down her cheek._

 _"_ _I…I can't stop thinking about it." Emma's voice quivered through her admission._

 _"_ _I know, darling, it's truly heart-breaking." Killian tilted his wife's head up to meet his. In her eyes there was more than just sympathy for the child. There was empathy. "Love?"_

 _"_ _I guess I relate to her…on some level. Not that what I went through can even begin to compare…" Emma's lips started to tremble as more tears began to fall. Killian felt a pit form in his stomach. He had an inkling about what was coming. "I was 11. It was the older brother of one of the kids in a care home I was in." Killian's jaw tensed as the words poured from Emma's mouth in a small voice. "He couldn't look after his younger brother, him being only 19. But he could visit. On these visits he'd always stay longer, without an actual supervising adult. To be honest there was rarely a supervising adult around anyway…. Usually it was just comments. Little touches as he walked past. But a couple of times he... he…" Emma flinched at the anger she saw in her husband's eyes. She knew it wasn't aimed at her. But at the scumbags that existed in the world._

 _"_ _He what?" His voice came out harsher than he meant it to. Killian stroked her cheek with his stump, brushing away the tears as they fell. "Emma, you can tell me."_

 _"_ _I know." The blonde gulped as she leant into her pirate's touch. "He came into my room and did stuff. Touched me. Made me…made me touch him. You know…in that way." Tears came to Killian's eyes at the pain he saw in his wife's._

 _"_ _Emma, I…" It was rare that Captain Hook didn't have anything to say. In this situation, however, he couldn't think of any words that would help._

 _"_ _You don't have to say anything. I knew it was wrong. It only happened a handful of times before I spoke up. The staff didn't believe me, thought I was causing trouble, so I got moved to another home. Never saw him again." Emma shrugged her shoulders and sniffed. She was glad that was over. She was glad she had told him. She actually felt lighter now, as she always did after letting him in._

 _"_ _I'm so sorry, love." Killian was trembling. He wanted to track his man down and skin him alive for what he'd done to Emma. He wanted to do the same to the man who had hurt Katie. But he knew it would bring no real good._

 _"_ _Hey, hey." Emma brought both of her hands up to cup his cheeks, staring into his eyes with nothing but love. "You've got nothing to be sorry for. I have you now. I know you'll take care of me, protect me, treat me the right way for as long as you live. You love me. And I love you. And, hopefully, we'll be able to share that love with Katie. You'll be able to work your special brand of magic which takes pain and turns into happiness." Emma wasn't normally one for such words. That was always more of Killian's territory. However she knew he needed to hear them, and she needed to say them. He stared at her for a second, just taking in her brilliance. Then he pulled her in for an earth-shattering kiss. After which they went back to bed and made gentle love to each other. Killian washing away the pain that Emma had felt with each caress of her skin._

Killian realised that Emma was drawing from her experiences with him as well. She was using the love they had for each other to wash away the little girl's pain. Just as he had with her. And that realisation lifted his heart.


	4. Chapter 4

Emma groaned as her alarm clock beeped obnoxiously through the quiet of the morning. She didn't feel like she'd had anything close to a night's rest. She had stayed with Katie the evening before. Just sat there with her until she had finally been claimed by sleep once more. She'd watched her sleep for a while longer, feeling a need to keep an eye on the little girl. Every now and then a few whimpers would escape from Katie. However she never awoke so Emma had to leave her to whatever dreams she was having. Despite retiring to bed early, Emma was unable to fall asleep for what seemed like an eternity. Sadly, the world didn't care about her restless night and a new day was beginning; regardless of whether she was ready for it or not. Her husband's side of the bed was empty, which wasn't an uncommon occurrence. The man was a morning person who would wake at unholy hours of the morning. Emma, however, thought that the world got going much too early. Nevertheless she threw back the covers and made her way to the shower.

Killian was reading the newspaper when he heard the water go on upstairs. Taking that as his cue, the pirate started on making a batch of coffee for his wife. He saw Emma as the loveliest, kindest, most caring woman and would dismiss anyone who disagreed. However even he knew that if his Swan didn't get a cup coffee, or several, before staring her day, these qualities would not shine through. Once the hot drink was brewing, Killian turned round to lean on the counter. He almost jumped out of his skin at the sight of a little girl standing just outside the kitchen. She was clutching her teddy to her chest and staring at him with wide eyes.

"Hi there, little love." Killian smiled at the ridiculous levels of cuteness that the child was displaying. He stayed where he was, not wanting to spook her after the night before. He knew that it was going to take time and he was willing to wait as long as it took. "Are you thirsty?" He filled himself a glass of water and, although he didn't get an answer, did the same for her. Killian set the glass on the table in front of the seat nearest to her. Katie eyed the glass nervously as she unconsciously licked her lips. "You can take a seat, if you want." He went back to preparing Emma's drink, not wanting to pressurize the girl by staring at her. The slight scraping of a chair across the kitchen floor brought a smile to his face. He turned just slightly so that he could see Katie in his peripheral vision. The little girl had set her toy on the table and was clasping the glass with both hands, taking healthy gulps of the liquid. "Would you like some breakfast?" Killian turned to face her as she finished off her glass of water. "You can have anything you like. Toast, eggs, bacon, sausages, cereal..." The little girl starting to run her fingers through her hair, but she kept her eyes on Killian all the same. He opened the cupboard behind him and started to remove the various cereals that they had. He was musing over how many they had when he heard a soft gasp from behind him.

Katie's eyes immediately went wide when she saw the man place a brightly coloured box on the counter. Pop Tarts. She'd only seen them a handful of times, usually when one of the older kids got her to hide them under her jacket at the store. Once they gave her one to say thank you, and she'd missed the taste ever since.

Killian turned round to see the girl staring with wide eyes at the box he just placed down. Following her gaze, he internally rolled his eyes. Pop Tarts. Seriously, what is it with kids in this realm eating bloody garbage? To be honest, Emma wasn't much better. He wouldn't usually allow them to be eaten for breakfast, but seeing the light in Katie's expression melted his defences. And it was her first day with them. The first day of their happy beginning hopefully. Killian sighed at his own rationalizations as he removed the different flavours from the cupboard. He brought the three packets over as laid them out on the table. "Which one would like, lass?"

Katie's mouth dropped at his question. He was actually going to let her have one. And he was letting her choose the flavour. _Brown Sugar Cinnamon_ , _Hot Fudge Sunday_ , _Frosted Confetti Cupcake_. She didn't know what the first one was, but it didn't look as good in the picture. She slowly pushed that one away so that she could focus on her other two options. She didn't want to choose the wrong one. This might be the only time she would be able to do this. The one she'd had was _Frosted Confetti Cupcake_ , so she knew she'd like it, but the fudge one sounded good too.

Killian chuckled softly at the girl's dilemma. She was worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as her eyes frantically jumped from one box to the other. After a couple of minutes, Killian made a decision which came with another tidal wave of rationalizations. "You know what?" Katie's eyes shot up at him when he spoke. Tears threatened to fill her eyes as she worried that she had taken too long to choose. That he'd had enough. That he'd realised that she didn't deserve this. Killian saw the worry fill the child's face and he frowned. "I was going to say that why don't you try one of each. Then we'll know which one you like." Katie's smile was wider than he had ever seen it, as he reached over to take one sugary treat out of each box. He warmed them up for her as she got up to refill her glass of water. He watched as she stretched to reach the tap, and was about to turn it on for her when the water started pouring. As the water neared the brim of the glass, Katie realised that she was going to have to struggle to shut it off. However just as her lip went between her teeth again, Killian reached over to turn it off. He smiled down at her as she walked back round to her seat.

Emma slowed to a stop when she reached the bottom of the stairs. She held her hand over her heart at the sight before her. She had imagined mornings like this so many times. Her husband making breakfast while their child sat at the table. She knew that Katie wasn't their child. Yet. But Christ did she want her to be. Every moment spent with the little girl was confirming this fact. And she could definitely get used to walking in on scenes such as this.

"Morning, love." Killian spotted her in the entryway, grinning at the happy glow to her face. Emma walked over and kissed her husband gently on the cheek.

"Mmm, morning." She hummed as Killian placed a cup of coffee in her hand. Closing her eyes, Emma inhaled the delicious warm scent. She then went to sit at the table across from Katie. "Good morning, sweetie. Did you sleep ok in the end?" The young girl shrugged slightly before casting her eyes down at her water glass.

Katie had been watching Emma since she entered the room. She thought she was really pretty, like a princess or one of those celebrities who was always on the front of magazines. She knew that she was way too good to be her mom. And she knew Emma would work it out soon, if she hadn't already. She didn't answer the question because she didn't want to say the wrong thing. If she was honest, her sleep had been made up mostly of nightmares as it usually was. However she didn't want them to see how difficult she was. Katie thought if she kept quiet and sat still, then maybe they'd forget she was there and she'd be able to stay.

Killian laid a kiss to the top of Emma's head as he leant over to pass the Pop Tarts to Katie. The little girl stared at them momentarily before looking at the man who had made them for her. She wanted to thank him, she really did, but that would break her staying-quiet rule. She bit her bottom lip, unsure of what to do. She couldn't eat without thanking him first. She couldn't thank him without speaking. Her head start to spin and her stomach began to roll. She bit harder on her bottom lip as Killian's bow started to furrow. She'd made him angry, this time she knew for sure. She knew she had to get out of there. Without giving herself a second to rethink, Katie grabbed her teddy and ran from the room.

"Katie?" Killian went to go after the young girl, but was stopped by Emma's hand on his arm. He was shocked at the sudden change in the child. Looking down at his wife, he saw a sadness in her eyes that hinted at some insight into the girl's exit. "I don't…"

"I know." Emma breathed out as he moved to sit beside her. "I think…I mean, if she's anything like I was, she's going to find it hard to accept that people actually care about her."

"Aye, love, sadly I believe you're right." Killian grasped her hand in his and kissed each of her knuckles. "You know me, Swan, I am a patient man. And I have all the time in the world to spend convincing her that she deserves to be loved. Just like another amazing woman I happen to know." Killian lent in and kissed Emma gently on the lips.

"Aye, Captain." Emma smiled as she used her free hand to cup his cheek. "I have every faith that you will."

"I'll go and check on the little lass in a bit." Killian spoke with a slight uncertainty, but Emma nodded her head in agreement. It was hard to know when to hold back and when to not. They wanted to give Katie the space she needed, to not make her feel pressured. However, she needed to know that they were here for always, that her time of dealing with stuff alone was over.

The two of them ate their breakfast in comforting silence, Emma keeping her hand grasped around his hook as they did. They were both listening out from any noise coming from upstairs, but nothing came. Emma wanted to know what exactly had upset Katie, what had forced her flight instinct into action. She knew that it was always hard moving into a new home, especially after facing rejections in the past. Her mind started to spiral slightly and she gripped Killian's hook tighter; she was relieved that it wasn't his hand clenched in her fist at that moment. Killian had had his hook for so long that it was an extension of his arm, so he knew when Emma tightened her hold. He looked at her questioningly, concerned by the lines appearing on her face. Killian was about to say something when Emma's phone sounded with a message. The blonde snapped out of her head space and checked the screen.

"It's Mom, asking if we're still all set for her to come over to meet Katie." Emma's thumb hovered over the screen, not knowing what to reply. She knew it was a bad idea, that Katie was definitely not ready to have more people around her right now. If she was honest with herself, she wasn't ready for it either. Emma knew her mom would be fine with it, understanding to a fault. She just didn't want to worry her. She'd put her mom through over her fair share of that. And still the former ruler was always there, with an ear to talk to and a shoulder to cry on.

 _Emma wished she had taken up Killian's suggestion and skipped dinner at her parent's house. It was a tradition of theirs, to meet up every Sunday for a family day which ended with a meal. A tradition which she usually loved. Today, however, she felt like everyone's eyes were on her. She had actually been relived when Henry had chosen to spend the day with Violet, as it was her father's birthday. One less family member to scrutinize her behaviour. She wasn't being very convincing in her role to act like everything was fine. She had barely eaten anything all day, all week now she thought about it. She had tried to participate in conversation, but it had all just seemed so trivial. She had wanted to scream when her dad had talked about certain teething problems they were having with the farm. And when her mom had listed the issues she had found with every pre-school they had visited for Neal. Speaking of her little brother, she had been avoiding him as much as possible all day. Above all that, Killian was the worst. His worried gaze had been trained on her since they arrived. She felt like he was noting everything about her, everything she did. Or didn't do. Right now she knew his gaze was on her plate, as she moved the food around with her fork. Even as he chuckled at her father's joke, one she was sure he must have heard before, she could feel the disappointment wafting off of him. She wasn't measuring up to his perfect vision of her as a wife._

 _"_ _I'll do that milady, you cooked after all." Emma felt Killian stand as he reached to take the plates from her mother. She kept her eyes cast down as he turned to her. "You done, Swan?" Christ, he didn't even try to sound casual with his question. She answered her husband by picking up her plate to offer it to him. His disappointed sigh made her teeth clench._

 _"_ _Emma, are you sure? We don't mind waiting." Her mother's voice held the same thinly veiled concern as her husband's had._

 _"_ _Of course not. You just take your time, princess." To give her father credit, he sounded almost blasé with his words. However her anger was already wound too tight. She was reaching boiling point. Everywhere she glanced there was a pair of eyes. Even Neal, who'd been quiet throughout the meal, started to whine._

 _"_ _Emmy. What is it?" Snow hugged Neal to her side the best she could as tears slipped down his cheeks. Emma started shaking. She felt like she was suffocating. Her fight or flight instinct was kicking in. The old habit she'd been able to curve for a while now. But she couldn't. Not today. She needed to get out of there. Go anywhere. Killian and her mother were both using pet names, questioning her continued silence. Neal's cries seemed to be getting louder by the second. She saw her father go to reach across to grab her hand. It was all too much._

 _"_ _Can everyone just SHUT UP!" Emma didn't realise she'd shouted, the words were on repeat in her head and must have slipped out. The room was eerily silent, besides a few muffled sniffles. She was standing and her chair had clattered to the floor behind her. She suddenly wanted, needed, to see Killian. To see the undying love that always lingered in his eyes. Emma was unable to meet those blue orbs, however, as her husband's head was bent downwards. He was gripping the table tightly, the tendons of his hand looking ready to burst. She had forgotten all about the plate that was in her hand, that had been in her hand. That was until she cast her eyes further downwards. Her true love's foot was covered in the broken shards of her mother's china. Her airways slammed shut at the sight. Without a second glance, Emma ran from the room and the house. Blood rushed to her ears, preventing her from hearing the pleads of her family._

 _Emma ran through the fields of her parent's farm. Not knowing where she was going. Not caring about where she'd end up. Her vision began to blur. Her feet started to trip over the ground, and each other. She was fairly certain that she was going to pass out. Not that she really cared. But she stopped anyway. Slid down the trunk of a tree. She knew that pushing herself so far wouldn't end well. It would end with her in a hospital bed. And that didn't help anyone. Her breath was still coming in harsh pants, as it felt like someone was physically pushing on her chest. She'd hurt him. She'd hurt her husband. Her one true-love, her soulmate, her pirate. Killian. Why did she always do this? She always hurt the people she loved. Hiccoughing sobs began as the emotional turmoil of the past week wacked into her full force. She'd been resurrecting her walls since the doctor's office. But now she was too tired. And cracks were forming in her defences, bricks were crumbling, the cement not given long enough to properly harden. Emma closed her eyes and cried. Cried harder and louder than she'd let herself in a long time._

 _Snow broke into a run at the sounds of anguish. Her head was reeling with the possibilities of what she would face once she found the source. All she knew was it was her daughter. And her daughter needed comfort. Needed understanding. She needed her mom._

 _"_ _EMMA!" She sprinted towards the woman crouched behind their apple tree (a housewarming gift from Regina). The blonde was on her hands and knees letting out sounds that were almost animalistic. Snow crouched down next to her daughter, unsure of what to do now. She knew she needed to get her to calm down, but without knowing what was wrong she didn't know how to. She couldn't even comfort her own daughter. Pushing the negative thoughts of her mothering capabilities to the back on her mind, Snow furrowed her brow. Tentatively she reached out her hand and lay it gently on Emma's back. Though the sobs didn't stop, the blonde did seem to lean into her mother's touch. Encouraged, the former ruler began to rub her back in slow soothing circles._

 _"_ _M-m-mom?" Emma managed to choke out after a few moments, lifting her eyes to meet her mother's. Her vision was blurry; either down to the tears or her current state of mind, she wasn't sure which._

 _"_ _Yes, baby, I'm here." Snow blinked back her own tears, knowing that one of them needed to keep a clear head. She was surprised, and relieved, as her daughter moved into her embrace. She cradled her against her body, feeling the full force of her sobs and heaving breaths. "Ssh, it's ok, it's going to be ok."_

 _"_ _H-how c-can you s-say that?" Emma pulled away slightly, removing herself from her mother's arms. She immediately missed the contact. "Y-you have n-no idea of w-what it is." She cringed at the hurt look on Snow's face. She knew she was only trying to help, but it seemed ridiculous for her to be making assumptions without knowing anything._

 _"_ _Then tell me." Snow reached out and took her daughter's chin in her hand, preventing her from turning away. "Please, Emma, if I know what it is then maybe I can help."_

 _"_ _There's nothing you can do." Emma huffed, although her anger was already dissipating. She tried to cling to the emotion, not wanting to be left with emptiness again. "There's nothing anyone can do."_

 _"_ _Let me at least try." Snow spoke softly as she cradled the blonde's face in her hands. She used her thumbs to wipe away the few tears that remained._

 _"_ _I…um…I…" Emma stuttered. She did want to tell her mom. In all honesty she'd wanted her mom by her side for months. Especially during this past week. She just didn't know how._

 _"_ _Does it have something to do with you and Killian?" Snow bit her lip, anticipating her daughter's negative reaction. "And the two of you starting a family together?" She knew that it had been something they'd wanted for a while now. Probably was in Killian's mind when he picked out their house in Camelot. She also knew that they'd been having problems, David had told her about a conversation he'd had with Killian. Ever since she'd been waiting for her daughter to come to her. To talk to her about it. It broke her heart that even now she resisted. However, she knew it wasn't about her. It was about Emma and her fears._

 _"_ _Mom, I…" Emma saw the look in her mother's eyes. She knew. And she'd known for a long time. The blonde wished she'd come to her sooner, that she'd had her there through all of it. However that was is the past. Like many aspects of her life, it couldn't be changed no matter how much she wanted it to. Her mom was allowing her to lean on her, was asking her to. "We c-can't…I can't…" Emma reached up to grasp one of her mother's hands in her own. The tears once again began to fall, less frantically than before. "I can't have a baby."_

 _"_ _Oh, Emma…" Snow breathed as she finally allowed tears to come to her eyes. She'd thought this was what it was. Call it mother's intuition. It still hurt to have her assumptions confirmed. "Do they know why?"_

 _"_ _Mmm hmm." Emma nodded as her lip started trembling. "It's me. I'm the reason. K-Killian has worked s-so hard to have this. T-to have a f-family."_

 _"_ _Emma…" Snow wanted to stop her daughter, knowing that she was sending herself down a self-deprecating path._

 _"_ _It's my f-fault, Mom. I'm s-standing in the w-way of his chance to h-have a p-proper f-family." Emma closed her eyes as the sobs tried to claim her again. Snow was lost of words. Her heart was breaking for her little girl. She wanted to tell her this wasn't on her. That she wasn't to blame. She just didn't know how to make the blonde believe it. Before she could speak a voice came from behind them._

 _"_ _Swan." Killian tried to speak gently, but he still managed to startle the two women. Snow turned swiftly to look at him, giving her son-in-law a small smile._

 _"_ _K-Killian…" Emma opened her eyes to see the love of her life crouching down next to her mother._

 _"_ _I'll give you two a minute." Snow reluctantly went to stand, not wanting to leave her daughter when she felt like this. Killian's hook on her knee stopped her._

 _"_ _It's alright milady, I want you here as a witness to this." Killian didn't break his gaze on Emma as he spoke, but his words were sincere enough to get his mother-in-law to stay. Snow looked at the couple with an air of confusion. Emma, on the other hand, looked guilty._

 _"_ _H-how much did you hear?" Emma's voice was barely above a whisper._

 _"_ _Enough." He bit out the word sharply, causing Emma to wince slightly. He was angry with her. She somehow managed to disappoint him further, even when she didn't think it were possible. "Emma, you promised me."_

 _"_ _I know." Emma tried to bend her head, ashamed at speaking her darkest thought's out loud. Killian placed his hook under her chin to tilt it up, much like her mother's hand had done earlier._

 _"_ _Then, love, please heed it. You need to stop blaming yourself. I promise you that I don't hold you accountable to any of this." In truth he saw this as Emma being unfairly punished for considering having a family with the villainous Captain Hook. "Have I given you any indication that I felt differently over this past week?"_

 _"_ _No." Emma sighed, knowing that he loved her too much to do that. She still thought that he should though. She was to blame. It was her. They had the doctors and medical records to prove it._

 _"_ _Emma you are the most amazing, beautiful, loving woman that I have ever met. That any man has ever met. I just wish you would see, love, that you're enough for me. You're more than I ever dreamed of having for centuries. Anything else is just a bonus. So whatever we decide to do, know that I could never love you any less." Killian pressed his lips to Emma's briefly, taking into account Snow's presence._

 _"_ _I'm sorry, Killian." Emma leant her forehead against her husband's. Her husband who always knew what to say to her. "For not letting you in." She pulled away and took her mother's hand in hers. "You too, Mom. I promise I'll try to get better at…this."_

 _"_ _Emma, I know it's hard for you. Just know that I'm always here for you, whenever you need me." Snow pulled her daughter into a tight hug, laying a kiss on top of her head. They stayed there for a moment just sat in silence together as a family._

 _"_ _We should probably go back to the house. Dad deserves to know why his daughter went mental." Emma tried to speak lightly as she got to her feet. "Not to mention, I'm overdue on a cuddle with my little brother." Emma started towards the house, as Killian helped Snow to her feet._

 _"_ _Milady." Killian held out his arm for Snow to loop hers around. Together they watched Emma walk a few steps ahead, allowing her the time she probably needed to collect her thoughts._

 _"_ _Killian, you know when you said Emma is all you need." Snow slowed to a standstill and turned towards her son-in-law._

 _"_ _Aye, I meant it." Killian was unsure of where Snow was going with this. He thought he'd convinced them of his dedication to Emma years ago._

 _"_ _Well, as sweet as that is, she isn't all you have. You know that right?" Snow smiled as the pirate scratched behind his ear nervously. "You've got Henry, and me, David, Neal. Even Regina seems quite fond of you now."_

 _"_ _I didn't mean to suggest-" Killian began to apologise but Snow held up her hand to stop him._

 _"_ _I'm not getting at you, Killian." Snow rested her hand on her son-in-law's arm. "Just letting you know that you already have a wider family than I think you realise. You've been one of us for a long time now."_

 _"_ _Thanks, milady. That means a lot." Killian swallowed past the lump of emotion in his throat as they continued their meander to the house._

"She'll understand, love." Killian confirmed Emma's own thoughts as he got up to clear away their plates.

"I know. I just don't think any of us are ready for that right now." Emma typed out a message to her mother, asking for a rain check as Katie needed some more time to settle in. Snow replied instantly with the suspected message of hope and encouragement, as well as understanding. Killian leant down to wrap his arms around her neck, peaking at the messages.

"See, love, told you." He chuckled as he laid a kiss to her cheek. "Now let's go check on the little lass in the question, aye?" Emma nodded as her husband held her hand to pull her up. Together they climbed the stairs to check on Katie; the little girl who meant so much to them already.


	5. Chapter 5

Katie woke up to a light knock on her door. She rubbed her eyes as a yawn escaped from her lips. She took a sharp breath in as she looked at her princess clock on the wall. It was nearly 11 o'clock in the morning. She always tried to get up early, as she knew that adults didn't like lazy kids. She'd fallen asleep so easily last night, and she couldn't remember having any dreams. The bed was just so comfy, and the house was so quiet; she couldn't help it. Katie started to subconsciously chew on her bottom lip, as another slightly louder knock sounded.

"Katie, sweetie?" Emma's voice called softly through the door. "Are you awake?" The little girl could hear the kindness in the woman's voice. She didn't sound angry at all. To be honest she'd never heard her or Killian ever be angry. Katie got out of bed and padded towards the door, clutching her ever-present teddy to her chest. She reached up and slowly turned the doorknob. Emma's heart warmed as the door opened to reveal the seven-year-old, still in her Olaf pyjamas. Her hair was messy from sleep and her eyes still not fully opened. "There you are. Good morning, sleeping beauty." Emma chuckled as Katie's face broke into a yawn. Katie giggled in spite of herself. She met Emma's eyes for a moment, before looking down at her soft toy. "Let's go downstairs, yes?" The blonde waited for Katie to walk past her before she followed.

Katie sat herself down at the kitchen table, in the same spot that she had the day before. She tried not think about how comfy the chair was, not knowing how many more times she'd be able to sit in it. Emma passed her a glass of water before sitting across from her. The little girl looked around in sight of Killian, but didn't find any. She worried that they'd had a fight. Maybe he'd left. That she'd acted up one to many times and he'd had enough. And Emma was about to send her back because of it.

"Killian had to go into work this morning, you remember me saying that we work in the Sherriff's Department?" Emma watched Katie's movements carefully. She always seemed so worried, it broke the saviour's heart. Katie finished her water before nodding in response. "Well he volunteered to go in this morning to check over some things." Honestly he'd jumped up as soon as the call came in, getting ready before she could even offer to go. Emma thought he was hesitant at being left alone with Katie, after all she'd been through he didn't want to cause her more fear. It was sweet of him, but she hoped they would both realise that they could move forward from her past. "So, I was thinking, we could go and surprise him with lunch?" Truth be told they needed to get some fresh air, it wasn't good for any of them to be cooped up. "You can see where we work? It's pretty cool." Katie seemed to ponder this for a moment. Emma waited patiently for her decision. After a few moments. The little girl smiled and nodded. "Great. So why don't you go get ready, and then we'll go for a walk." The blonde watched as she scrambled back up the stairs.

Katie stood in front of her wardrobe, looking over her clothes selection. She didn't have many clothes and all of what she did have were hand-me-downs; from older children in the home, who'd gotten them as donations from well-meaning members of the public. She wanted to make a good impression, but her only semi-nice dress was meant for a 3-4 year old. Katie was small, but she wasn't that small. Her eyes started to fill with tears at how embarrassed Emma and Killian would be to have her at their work. An unloved girl who didn't even have a dress that fit.

"Sweetheart, you alright?" Emma hesitantly approached the girl, who seemed to working herself up into a state. She heard a few stifled sniffled before the little brown waves nodded in affirmation. It was easy to say, Emma was not convinced. "Found anything to wear?" Katie shrugged her shoulders and kept her back to Emma. "Hmm…what about on your bed?" Katie turned at that question, a look of confusion on her face. Emma smiled gently and nodded towards the bed.

The little girl gasped as she followed Emma's gaze. There on top of her covers was a peach pink dress, covered in the outlines of silver hearts. Making her way over to it, Katie tentatively reached out a hand to stroke the soft fabric.

"D'you want to try it on?" Emma prompted as the seven year old stared at the dress. Katie mouth fell open at the idea that she was allowed to wear something so nice. "We left the tag on, so if it doesn't fit or you don't like it, we can take it back." Katie couldn't believe that anyone wouldn't like this dress, well any girl anyway. "I'll wait outside." Emma shot her a reassuring smile before leaving the room.

Once alone, Katie decided to move quickly. She didn't want Emma to change her mind and take it away. She pulled the dress over her head and looked into the mirror. A grin spread widely across her cheeks as she swished this way and that. The bottom of the dress floated around her knees. After a few more moments, Katie went and opened the door to see Emma standing patiently in the hall.

"Wow look at you!" Emma gushed while the young girl's cheeks filled with a red blush. "So do you like it?" Katie nodded as her huge grin came back. "Then it's yours." Emma leant forward and pulled the tag off of the dress.

"Thank you." Katie's eyes widened as she whispered her gratitude. She didn't believe that she deserved something as nice as this, but wasn't going to let Emma know that.

"That's alright, sweetie." Emma bent down to the girl's level, the child's grin infectious. "It was Killian who picked it out though. I'm sure he'll love to see that you like it." Katie giggled slightly at the idea of a Killian shopping for a little girl's dress. Then she went to finish getting ready.

Emma drove Katie to the Sherriff's Station in comfortable silence. A small smile had graced the girl's face since they left the house. She pulled up into her usual parking spot and glanced at Katie, who had started to fiddle nervously with her dress. "You ready?" She let out a shaky breath before nodding and opening her car door. Emma did the same.

The doors to the station opened as they walked towards the entrance, and Leroy walked out of them. Emma was about to greet him when she felt something touch her hand. Looking down she saw that Katie had placed her small hand into hers. The little girl was eyeing the man wearily as he stepped closer to them.

"Have a good one, sister." Leroy tipped his hat in recognition as he walked past them, not seeming to take notice of the child.

"See you around, Leroy." Emma replied as Katie curled herself into her leg. She rubbed her thumb over the little fingers reassuringly. "He's alright, Leroy, if a little grumpy at times." Emma explained as she walked through the door that had been left open in the dwarf's absence. Katie kept her hand tightly in Emma's and it warmed both of their hearts. They entered the main pen of the station and found it empty. "Killian?" Emma called out.

"Swan?" Killian's voice came from the storeroom of to the left. "I didn't expect you today, love. Who has..?" His voice trailed off as he came into view. Standing in front of him was not only the love of his life, but the little girl who would hopefully be theirs. And she was wearing the dress he picked for her. "Hello, little lass. Well this is a pleasant surprise." Katie smiled shyly at the genuine happiness on the man's face. He seemed actually pleased to see her. "You look like a princess." Katie outright beamed at that assessment, wanting nothing more than to be a princess.

"I thought we could show Katie the station and then have some lunch." Emma replied as she went to press a kiss to his cheek. Her husband turned at the last second so that their lips met in a soft peck.

"Excellent idea, love." Killian winked as he knelt down in front of Katie. "If you'd like to follow me then milady, I'll give you the grand tour." Katie giggled as let her hand drop from Emma's and followed Killian in to the office. Emma watched as he let the little girl sit in her wheelie chair. Her legs couldn't touch the floor, so she swung them happily. She snapped a few pictures of the two of them on her phone before knocking on the glass door.

"I'm going to pop to Granny's to get lunch. Katie, d'you want to come with me or stay here with Killian?" Emma asked as Killian took a pair of walkie talkies. Katie considered the options before quickly picking up one of the devices.

"Here, please." She smiled and began to fiddle with the controllers. Meanwhile Killian started at the little girl with awe, this was the first time he'd heard her speak. Her sweet voice was music to his ears.

"Ok, I won't be long." Emma smiled as she left the two alone. This was what she'd been hoping for. She wanted the two of them to spend some time together, just them.

Killian showed Katie how to work the walkie, even going back into the store room so that she could test out the range.

"Hello, Sherriff Katie. This is Killian Jones. I hope you can hear me." He tried to speak quiet enough that she wouldn't be able to hear his actual voice without the device. A few moments later a crackling laugh came through the radio; Katie's laugh was clear as day to his ears anyway. "Good good. I have some urgent news to report." He waited for the girl's laughter to cease before he continued. "I am very hungry." The laughter erupted again at his emission. Killian exited the room to see Katie in a fit of giggles. It warmed his heart to see her having fun, being care-free even just for a few moments. He vowed to make her laugh every day.

"I'm hungry too." Katie admitted as her chuckles died down and she saw Killian standing there. She'd slept through breakfast and could feel her tummy rumbling.

"Well, I'm sure Emma won't be long." Killian smiled as the girl once again swung her legs freely. "For now, let's continue this tour." Katie's eyes twinkled as she jumped up and followed Killian towards the holding cells. She was feeling happier than she had, well ever really. She didn't realise she was skipping until her hand knocked a pile of files on the edge of a desk. Her eyes widened as numerous papers fell haphazardly to the floor. Killian turned at the noise to find the girl staring at the mess.

"I-I-I…" Katie stuttered as her eyes filled with tears, this time to quick to blink away. Killian reached his hand forward in an attempt to placate her. She flinched away from him. The pirate withdrew his hand as the girl seemed to compose herself. Katie stepped closer to him glancing at his hand, before squeezing her eyes shut and clenching her fists at her sides. Her whole body was so tense it was shaking. It was as if she was waiting for something. He'd seen men do it before as they waited for a punishment… His breath caught as he realised that's exactly what she was doing. This little girl was expecting him to beat her. To use physical violence as punishment against her for knocking over some files. It angered him that this was what she had been taught was normal. Killian let out a few calming breaths before resting his hand and prosthetic gently on her shoulders.

Katie was biting her lip to keeping from crying. She knew that only made them madder. Only made them hit harder, for longer. She felt a gentle weight on her shoulders and held her breath, waiting for his grip to tighten. After a few moments she slowly opened her eyes. Killian had knelt in front of her, his eyes locking with hers. The look in them confused her.

"Katie, listen to me. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise." Killian thought to keep his voice steady, the emotions raging inside of him trying to break free. "I would never hurt you. I am so sorry for what has happened to you to make you think this is normal. It isn't. I'm not at all annoyed at you for knocking over those files, it was an accident. But even if I was, I would never hit you. You understand?" Katie wasn't able to stop the tears from falling down her cheeks. She nodded her head slightly. "People should always avoid violence as much as they can, not using it for punishment. And never, never should it be used against a child." He could feel tears build in his eyes as Katie breathed out shaky breath. "Okay, princess?" Killian reached out his hand to gently wipe the tears from her face.

Katie didn't know why, but she felt like she could trust this man. Emma too. She believed everything he said, took in the kindness that was always in their eyes. She threw her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. "Thank you." She mumbled against his skin. Killian was taken aback by this action, a few tears slipping down his cheeks. Her body was still shaking so he lightly placing his hand on her back.

"No thanks necessary." Killian spoke softly as he rested his cheek against her brown waves. They then lapsed into silence; the only sounds Katie's stuttering breaths as she calmed down. This was how Emma found them as she walked into the room with the takeaway bags from Granny's. She had a silent conversation with her husband to check that everything was ok, at least for now. Killian shot her a look that said they'd talk about it later. "I think I smell lunch, what about you?" Killian asked as Katie removed herself from his arms. She looked up at him sheepishly, as if seeing what he thought of their hug. He grinned widely at her before nodding towards Emma. "Should we see what food Emma has for us?" Katie stared at him for another beat, before shuffling towards the desk where the food was being laid out.

They ate in companionable silence, with Emma and Killian stealing worried glances at Katie. The little girl didn't speak for the rest of the day, and went up to bed pretty early. Emma waited until the night to ask about what had happened at the station.

As the couple lay in bed together, Killian recounted the events that took place. Emma held his hand as he spoke, leaning her head against his chest. When he was done she laid a sweet kiss to his lips as she stroked his cheek.

"That must have been hard for you." Emma carded her fingers though her husband's hair.

 _Killian fell down onto the bed beside Emma, panting hard. He felt a euphoric air settle over him as his heart rate returned to normal. It was still quite new to both of them, as they'd only had sex a handful of times, but it was bloody brilliant. He revelled in learning new things about her, causing his love to grow even more deeply for her. Killian smiled as the woman in question shifted beside him, pressing feather light kisses to his heated skin. She started at his neck and made her way to his shoulders. He was too relaxed to warn her and when he heard her gasp he knew it was too late._

 _"_ _Killian…" Emma whispered as she stared at his back, the skin marred by numerous scars and burns. The white lines were mostly thin; even though she wasn't alive when they were really used, she knew these were from a whip. He went roll away from her touch, but Emma held him in position._

 _"_ _Emma, don't…" Killian winced at the thought of her seeing something so ugly as the skin on his back. Emma reached out a finger and began to trace a few of the lines. "You don't have to touch it, Swan. I know they're hideous."_

 _"_ _You could never be hideous." She bent down to press kisses on the large burn mark on his side. Killian flinched but made no other move to get away._

 _"_ _Normally I would have to agree with you." Killian tried to make light of the situation. The joke tasted sour in his mouth._

 _"_ _Don't you know, Hook, I'm a fan of every part of you." Emma repeated the words that he had said to her a few months previously. She moved to lay her head beside his once more and cupped his cheek in her hand. She'd rarely seen him show any sign of insecurity, his confident rapscallion mask well practised. She brushed her lips against hers and felt his hesitation at the contact. "Do you want to talk about it?"_

 _"_ _It's long ago now, Swan, I barely pay it any mind." Killian saw the intensity in his love's stare. He knew that she wouldn't force him to talk about anything that he didn't want to. And yet, there was something that was pulling him to open himself up to her. Probably his wish for her to feel comfortable enough to bare herself to him. "The first time it happened I was a young lad..."_

 _"_ _You know you don't have to." Emma lay her head on his chest, resting her ear above his heart._

 _"_ _Aye, love, I know." Killian closed his eyes and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He allowed himself a moment to breathe in her scent. "As I said, it was many years ago. My father had not long left me and Liam to a life of servitude." Emma's breath caught at that, as it always did when she thought of Killian being left defenceless so young. "I was probably about 9 years old at the time. I was always a bit useless see, never had the hard work drive or the patience of Liam." She wanted to object at that. She knew how inferior he felt to his brother, who seemed to set the bar so high that Killian would never be able to reach it. She stopped herself though; knowing that he needed to tell these events his way. "I was scrubbing the deck when I knocked over the bucket of water. It sloshed all over the first mate's boots. Well that was a few lashes right there. Anyway I was hauled to my feet and I started to argue my punishment. Honestly I should have just taken the first offer and been done with it." Emma sniffed against him at the self-deprecating tone in his voice. He ran his hand up and down her back soothingly. She was meant to be the one comforting him, and she was, as having her in his arms was more than he could ask for. "The lashes went up to 20 before I shut my damn mouth. Two of the sailors tied me against a post as the first mate reached for his whip. They waited ages before striking me, I guess part of the punishment was seeing me wait trembling." Tears filled Emma's eyes at the crack in her pirate's voice, even now. "I screamed at the first blow. Loud enough that Liam heard me from wherever he was working below deck. He ran up and said that he'd take the lashes for me." Tears fell down both their cheeks. "I kept telling him no, but he was stubborn arse my brother, so he got 10 lashes on top of mine. I think I passed out about half way through."_

 _"_ _Killian… that's awful." Emma pressed kisses to his chest as her tears wet his skin. "I'm so sorry…"_

 _"_ _The way of the world, love." Killian whispered as he clutched her tightly to him, his own tears dampening her hair. "After that, I tried not to scream, so Liam wouldn't be able to hear it happening." They stayed in their embrace for a long time, neither ready to even loosen their grip on the other. "Thanks for listening."_

 _"_ _Hey, I'm always here." Emma lifted her head so that their eyes met. "Whenever you need me."_

 _"_ _Aye, Swan, and I you." Killian placed more kiss to her lips before settling into the covers. Emma's soft breaths puffed against his skin. Though he didn't get much sleep that night, he did feel somewhat lighter._

"Aye, love, it did stir some memories. Memories that you helped me move on from. I've left the violence of my past behind me, as you have also. Now it's up to us to help Katie to do the same." Killian rolled so that her back was pressed against his chest, He laid his stump on her hip and buried his nose into her hair.

"I know it's a long road to go down, but I think you definitely helped her along it today." Emma yawned as nuzzled herself against her husband and let sleep claim her. Killian laid there a little while longer, listening to the soft sounds of his wife's breathing. He smiled as he thought of how far Katie had come already, taking from it the hope that they would mend this little girl's heart. She just needed to let them. And with the sounds of Katie's earlier laughter still ringing in his ears, Killian gave into the gentle tug of sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Emma blinked her eyes to adjust to the darkness of her bedroom. She groggily reached for her phone on her bedside table, squinting at the glare of the screen. The time stared back at her – 3:27. Groaning she flung her phone to the floor and squeezed her eyes closed. She had no idea what had forced her to wake at this ungodly hour. Her mind started to race at the idea that something had happened. That someone, somewhere needed her. Reaching out her hand to grasp her husband's stump, Emma let out a brief sigh of relief. He was here. He was sleeping soundly. Whatever it was, she was sure it could wait till morning; after all, Saviour's need their beauty sleep as much as anyone. She started to drift back down into the comfort of the mattress when another person crossed her mind.

Katie.

Emma jumped from her bed and made for the door. She could hear Killian groan at this disturbance, but paid him no mind. She had the door handle in her grasp when suddenly an ache emanated from her stomach. Her whole body went stiff as it suddenly became clear what had awoken her. She couldn't believe that she hadn't realised what day it was. The date that had become the most important on her calendar for months now. Unclenching her hand from the metal, she made her way to the ensuite bathroom. Making sure not to turn on the light until the door was firmly shut, Emma fought to get herself under control. In an almost trance-like state, she opened the bottom draw of the bathroom cabinet. Her hand brushed against a pregnancy test, and she once again cursed herself for keeping them in the same place. Tears clouded her vision as she grabbed her sanitary products and went through the familiar motions. Once done, she avoided the mirror completely and made her way back to the bedroom.

"Love?" Killian's accent cut through the darkness, making her heart sink. She didn't want to talk about this. Didn't want to see the look in his eyes, hear his kind words, or feel his soothing touch. She just wanted to crawl under the covers, close her eyes, and hope for the next few days to pass quickly. So that's what she did.

Or rather tried to do. As soon as Emma slipped under the duvet, Killian pulled her against his chest. And as soon as he pressed his lips to the top of her head, her tears began to fall. "What is it, sweetheart?" Emma didn't have the words to tell him, to remind him that his heart was broken like hers. So she simply picked up his phone from his side of the bed and showed it to him. Killian blinked in confusion for a few seconds, a frown marring his features. She knew when it clicked, because his arms tightened around her. He didn't say anything, and for that she was grateful. Honestly whatever he could say, he'd already said ten times or more. And that's how they stayed for hours. Emma felt immense guilt at being the cause of his lack of sleep, adding that to her long list of wifely failures.

At 6:00, Killian gently rolled his wife onto her side of the bed so he could start his day. He knew not to ask her if she would be joining him for breakfast. More often than not, Emma spent this day seeking solitude in their bed. He had hoped that this would change since they have Katie in their lives. Hoped that the fact that they do have a child would keep her from this state. But then again, he mused as the shower water hit his face, even Henry was never able to move her from this.

He got dressed in semi-darkness, as Emma had finally fallen asleep and he'd be damned if he woke her. Casting one last worried glance over his shoulder, Killian quietly made his way downstairs. The coffee machine had just finished brewing the first batch, when the morning paper hit the front door. Usually he would retrieve it straight away, finding much enjoyment in the reading of this world's news. However today he just leant against the counter, consumed by thoughts of a different life. A life where they had a biological child was never far from his dreams. Now, however, this child was clearer than ever. It was Katie. Their little girl had been with them since her birth. He had been able to protect her from the monsters of the world. And protect Emma from the emotional turmoil she had experienced, was still experiencing.

"Hi…" The small voice brought Killian back to reality. His eyes landed on the girl slowly placing herself in a chair at the table.

"Good morning princess." He smiled as a yawn escaped her lips. Katie was the best distraction he could've asked for, her presence keeping any demons at bay. "Did you sleep well?" Placing some bread in the toaster, Killian sat down with two glasses of water.

"Yes, thank you." Katie smiled at him over the rim of her glass. "Did you?" Killian's smile faltered at the question, as he had vowed never to lie to any child he would have. Luckily, Katie chose to have a large gulp of her drink so completely missed the slip in his expression.

"It was…" Suddenly a pop sounded from behind him, signally that their breakfast was ready. Once the toast was arranged in front of them, with an array of toppings on offer, it seemed that Katie had forgotten his answer-dodging. The young girl was currently spreading a small amount of raspberry jam on her toast. She hadn't touched a mouthful of breakfast before her brow furrowed.

"What's wrong, lass?" The pirate took immediate note of the sudden change in her mood. He waited patiently, setting his own food down to give her his full attention.

"Where's mo-?" Katie whispered with her eyes cast down at her teddy in her lap. As soon as the words had left her mouth, big blue eyes shot up to meet his. The poor girl looked like a deer caught in headlights. Despite the question's abrupt end, they both knew what word she was going to say. It filled Killian's heart with pure joy that she saw Emma as her mother already. However, he could tell that the girl was deathly terrified that he'd caught on to her slip. Therefore, as much as it pained him to ignore it, he shrugged it off.

"Emma's upstairs. Sadly she's not feeling very well." He watched Katie visibly deflate when he didn't call her up on her mistake. That is until his words sunk in and a different type of fear filled her eyes.

"Is she going to be ok?" Katie's bottom lip began to tremble and she hugged her teddy closer.

"Aye, lass, she'll be fine. Just needs to rest for today that's all." Killian automatically reached to grasp the young girl's hand, but stopped halfway across the table. He didn't want to frighten her. Although Katie had come a long way with them, there was still much further for her to go. He knew well enough that pushing her wouldn't help anyone. Katie stared at his outreached hand in silence. Then tentatively she reached out to wrap her fingers around his own. It was a gentle hold; one that someone could pull away from with minimal effort, but it was enough for both of them. She shot the man a small smile before taking a bite of her toast, keeping their hands together.

"Can…" Katie began tentatively as they cleared the table. "Can I go see her?" She asked all in one breathe, before casting her eyes towards her feet. Killian contemplated her question. He didn't like the idea of Emma all alone, but knew that she was isolating herself for a reason. He also didn't know what effect it would have on Katie, if Emma denied her company. However, he already knew that he couldn't deny this girl anything.

"I think that's an excellent idea." Killian enthused, his heart warming as a wide smile stretched across Katie's face.

The muffled voices from downstairs reached Emma's ears, and she longed to join them. Though she couldn't quite hear what was being said, the base tones were clear; her husband's deep accented voice so different from Katie's light twinkly one. It amazed her that just a week previously she had never heard that little girl's voice; now she didn't think she could go a day without hearing it. She close to going to them. To her family. To not let this take another day from her.

But she just couldn't. Her heart felt too heavy. Her guilt was pushing on her shoulders, trapping her to the covers. And it was worse than it had ever been before. Not alone was she forcing her husband to face the world without her, she also forcing her daughter. She had wanted a child with Killian for so long, and now she had a chance at having one, and she was screwing it up. Tears feel rapidly down her cheeks as a lump appeared in her throat. The lump grew and grew until she felt like she couldn't breathe. She made herself sit up against the headboard and put her head between her knees. Her hand came to her mouth and she bit down hard to stop sobs from escaping. She would not worry them with this. They didn't deserve to deal with this. She would stay silent until they left. She was well trained at –

A light knock sounded on the other side of the door. Emma froze as a voice called through. "Love?" Emma wanted to reply, but she knew as soon as she opened her mouth a sob would escape. "Swan…" There was of worry to his voice that made her heart ache. The door inched opened, cutting the darkness with a blade of light. She lay back down as he entered, laying her arm over her face to hide her eyes. The bed dipped next to her and a hand settled on her back. The usual warmth she felt from his touch was dulled, but it was there nonetheless. "The lass wanted to come see you. Make sure you're going to be alright." Emma's breath caught at his words. Their darling girl was so caring, even after everything she'd been through, it floored her. "Didn't you, princess?"

Katie stared at Emma with wide eyes. She'd never seen her so still. This woman would normally be trying to do a million things at once. Now she couldn't even get out of bed. It scared her. Her mind was telling her to walk away, to go back downstairs or run to her room. But she stayed firm. "Y-yes." She stuttered as she made her way into her parent – Emma and Killian's bedroom. She came to stand at the top of the bed by Emma's head. Even her beautiful blonde waves didn't glow as they usually did. Katie bit her lip hesitantly, unsure of what to do know that she was here. Killian gave her an encouraging nod, along with a wink that made her giggle slightly. Slowly she reached out and ever-so-gently stroked her hand down Emma's hair.

"Oh, princess…" Killian breathed looking upon the sweet gesture. He heard Emma let out a soft sigh. Her arm fell away from her face and green orbs shined through the yellow curtain. Katie stopped her movements as her eyes connected with hers. Emma shuffled backwards on the bed, settling down the middle. Katie kept her gaze on her the entire time, a flash of worry going through her that she'd upset her. That was until Emma opened her arms invitingly.

"Sweetie…" Emma's voice was nothing more than a hoarse whisper, but her lips curled into a smile. Katie took a deep breath before climbing onto the bed and crouching beside Emma. Their eyes still had yet to leave each other's. Blue searched green for any sign of what to do; what the little girl saw shining back at her was love. Also a need for comfort and affection, a need that Katie shared. Slowly she slid down and into the waiting arms, allowing herself to be pulled closer. Katie settled herself against Emma's chest, taking great comfort in the steady heartbeat against her ear. Neither of them noticed Killian leave, not that he minded; he was beyond thrilled that his girls were sharing this moment.

Katie had dreamt about being hugged by her mother her entire life. She imagined that it would be safe and warm and nice. This was that, but also so much more. Emma was definitely her mommy. Katie burrowed her face deeper, hoping against hope that they would keep her.

Emma raised her head to look at the girl who was clinging to her so tightly. It was as if she was worried that she would float away. Emma wanted to ease Katie's mind, but couldn't find the words. So, instead she held on just as tightly, not wanting this moment to disappear either. She took comfort in having a child again, a child at the age where they'd still curl up in her arms. She tried to think about the last time Henry had shared more than a fleeting hug with her.

 _Emma was putting the last touches to the kitchen table, which just didn't seem to look right. This was her first time, well her and Killian's first time, hosting the weekly family dinner. She just wanted it to be right. Her mom always seemed to do it all so effortlessly, and she was afraid that she wouldn't measure up. And seeing as Killian was in charge of the cooking, and her father insisted that they supply the drinks, the table was all that was left for her to do. She huffed as she began to straighten out everyone's cutlery._

 _"_ _Mommmm." Henry's teenager whine came from the living room, causing her to roll her eyes._

 _"_ _What is it?" Emma sighed as walked through the entryway to where her boys were playing X-Box. Or rather, from the sounds of it, Henry was attempting to play while Killian made it rather challenging to do so._

 _"_ _Your husband." The boy shot daggers at Killian, who looked rather amused at the whole thing. "Just ignored the mission completely, causing us to fail aannndddd be dismissed from duty."_

 _"_ _I didn't know that could happen." Emma tried to suppress her chuckle as her son expressed his frustrations._

 _"_ _Well neither did I. But he managed it." Henry widely gestured with the remote at Killian._

 _"_ _What d'you have to say for yourself?" Emma attempted to scold her husband, but the glint in his eye told her that he wasn't buying it._

 _"_ _The leader was expecting us to head into danger and towards possible death, while he sat back in his office. Which is extremely bad form. So I attempted to stage a mutiny." The pirate did look slightly sheepish as he scratched behind his ear. "Granted it didn't go quite as well as I would have hoped –"_

 _"_ _You can say that again!" Henry stood up from the couch and headed for the stairs. "Do me a favour, will you?" He stopped in front of Emma, casting a scowl over his shoulder at Killian. "Can you hurry up and have a kid already? Cause that way in a few years I can play with someone from this century!" And with that Henry left to get ready, and to hopefully reign in those teenage hormones. The two adults left didn't know what to say, their son's words left floating in the air._

 _"_ _Swan?" Killian finally spoke as he stood from his seat on the couch. Emma simply shook her head at him as a numbness overtook her. They hadn't told Henry about their doctor's visits, about discovering that they won't be able to have a child the usual way. Her parents were the only ones that knew. However his words still stung whenever he brought up his want for a younger sibling. He made towards his wife, intent on soothing her the best he could. Just as he reached Emma the doorbell rang, and she rushed to answer it. Killian sighed, running a hand over the face before moving to greet their family._

 _Henry came down the stairs a few minutes later and gave Killian a small smile. He was clearly slightly embarrassed by his outburst. The pirate simply patted his step-son on the back to show that all was forgiven. Then they joined the rest of the family at the table. The conversation flowed as it usually did. Henry's college experiences was the main focus on discussion, as no-one in their family had ever gone before. Even Emma was able to lose herself in her son's stories. Killian's heart soared as she laughed along with the rest of them. She squeezed his thigh under table, in a way that let him know that she was ok. That they were going to be ok._

 _Killian was busy dishing out dessert, much to Neal's delight, when Emma's phone rang. She frowned at the unknown answer._

 _"_ _Who is it?" Her mother asked as Emma stood to take the call. The blonde simply shrugged and left the room to answer it. Killian continued cutting portions of his pie, but kept one eye on his wife in the other room. He wasn't sure if she had turned from the group on purpose or not. Her back visibly stiffened a moment before her hand flew up to her mouth. Killian clenched his jaw._

 _"_ _Killllyyyyy…" Neal's whine took the pirate's focus from his wife. He realised that he had yet to pass the young boy his afters._

 _"_ _Apologies lad." Killian shook himself before proceeding to dole out the rest of the slices. Conversation started back up again as the rest of the family dug into their food. He kept his eyes glued to Emma as he bounced his leg under the table. After what seemed like an eternity, his wife no longer held the phone to her ear. She still didn't turn round. "Everything alright, love?" His question drew everyone's attention to the Saviour. She let in a deep breath before facing her family. The expression on her face worried all of them. Her eyes were wet and red-rimmed, her mouth hanging slightly open. Emma legs shook as she attempted to walk over to them, and Killian was at her side in an instant. "Swan, what's wrong?" He frantically searched her eyes as she grabbed onto his arms for support. For once he found her unreadable, and that scared him. She reached up and stroked his cheek._

 _"_ _Nothing's wrong." Emma tried to look round her husband at the concerned faces of her family; Killian's strong grip prevented her from doing so. "I promise. There's something I need to… we need to tell everyone." The smile that appeared on her face then convinced Killian that she truly was alright. He kept an arm around her as they faced their guests together._

 _"_ _Mom, what's going on?" Henry was confused by the look on his mother's face. He was praying that it wasn't bad news, some new threat to their lives here in Storybrooke._

 _"_ _Henry, I know you've been…" Emma faded off, trying to get her emotions under control. "You've been wondering why me and Hook haven't had a kid together." Her husband's arms tightened around her, centring her, and for that she was grateful._

 _"_ _Umm yeah, I guess." Henry squirmed in his seat uncomfortably, making the adults in the room chuckle. "But, its fine, you know it's none of my business, not really…"_

 _"_ _It's ok, kid, I'm not going into details." Emma laughed as both her son and her father visibly relaxed. "Well, we did want to have a baby, for quite s-some time ac-actually." She blinked away tears, focusing on the feeling of her husband behind her. "A few months ago we got told that it wasn't going to happen." Snow wiped a few tears away as she brought Neal into her lap. David laid a hand on his wife's shoulder, keeping his gaze on his daughter. "Not like that anyway." She spoke the last part softly, feeling more than hearing Killian's breath catch._

 _"_ _What d'you mean it's not going to happen?" Henry inquired gently, getting the feeling that he was only one who didn't know about this._

 _"_ _There's some medical stuff that means that us having a kid…biologically is out of the question." Emma could tell that Killian was attuned to her choice of words. She feel his heart rate increasing. It was giving her the strength to keep going._

 _"_ _Oh, Mom… guys, I'm sorry." Henry felt bad for not realising that something was wrong. He brought up his absence of a sibling on an almost daily basis, having no idea what they were going through. "That sucks."_

 _"_ _Yeah, it kinda does, kid." Emma slowly turned herself so that she was facing her husband more than the rest of them. "But that's not the end of that dream. We decided to look into adoption, given how we both feel a connection to those kids, cause of our pasts."_

 _"_ _Emma, if we could change that we would." Snow sniffed as she held Neal closer, feeling extreme guilt for being able to spend this time with him that she couldn't with her._

 _"_ _In a heartbeat, Princess." David agreed as he reached out to take his daughter's hand in his._

 _"_ _I know you would." She squeezed her father's hand reassuringly, before letting go. Emma turned towards Henry, seeing the love and understanding in his eyes. "Like I would for Henry." The teenager nodded his head, trying to fight the lump forming in his throat. They all took the few moments of silence, thinking about the choices they'd made and the times they'd lost. More importantly, they focused of the fact that they were all together now. "The reason I'm saying this now, is cause that was a children's home on the phone." Emma's eyes shone with unshed tears as faced Killian completely. He was looking at her with such hope that he looked younger than she thought she'd ever seen him. "The woman said that she's read our profile and wants to meet us. She thinks we sound like a great couple, and that she's sure we'll find a child that we match perfectly." She'd barely got to the end of the sentence before Killian pulled her in for a kiss. Her hands fisted in his hair, deepening it, for the moment not caring about their present company. She was one step closer to having a child with her true love. Speaking of her true love, he was currently twirling her around in circles. She laughed against his lips, feeling his chuckle against hers._

 _A cough that sounded awfully like her father's managed to break them apart. The couple enjoyed one last moment in their bubble, then turned towards their family. Emma was immediately caught in her mother's embrace, which she happily returned. David stood to give Killian an affectionate pat on the back. Henry seemed hesitant to approach his step-father, who pulled him in for a tight hug. The teenager didn't make any grumble at all. In fact, he blinked back tears in vain._

 _The rest of the evening past in a whirlwind of childhood stories, and optimistic wonderings. By the end of it all, Emma flumped down on the couch in exhaustion. She was happy, happier than she been for over a year. The ache that she had felt all of that time was duller than ever. She let her eyes drift close as she basked in the feeling._

 _Her eyes snapped open in surprise as she felt a weight against her side. At first she thought it was Killian, but then she breathed in her son's scent. He'd snuggled against her on the couch, something he hadn't done for years._

 _"_ _Everything ok, kid?" Emma opened her arms for Henry, surprised yet again when he took up her offer. She was starting to worry about him now. He'd been fine all of today, hadn't he? Chatting during dinner, sharing stories like usual. What had changed? Suddenly it hit her. She and Killian were probably getting a kid. Through adoption. The same thing she gave him away to. Her heart hurt thinking about what this must be doing to him. "Is this about me and Killian adopting?" The brown hairs against her face nodded. "Oh kid…" She knew she needed to comfort him, to assure him that they still loved him unconditionally. She just didn't know what to say._

 _"_ _I'm sorry." Henry whispered as he twisted himself round to face his mother._

 _"_ _Sorry? For what? Henry you've got nothing to say sorry for." Emma looked her son straight in the eyes, imploring him to talk to her._

 _"_ _I'm sorry for mentioning you guys having a kid so much. For nagging about not getting a sibling..."_

 _"_ _Henry…" Emma tried to soothe him, but he kept going._

 _"_ _No, I have no idea how much that must have upset you. Both of you. I'm so sorry. I-I didn't know–"_

 _"_ _You're right, you didn't know." Emma successfully interrupted him this time. "It's not your fault. It took me a long time to come to terms with it… I still am. I chose not to tell you, so it's more on me than it is on you."_

 _"_ _It's not your fault…" Henry cast his eyes away from his mother's._

 _"_ _Well then it's neither of ours, ok?" Emma spoke sternly as she raised his gaze back to hers. They stared at each other for a few moments, both as stubborn as the other._

 _"_ _Ok." Henry sighed finally. They shared a sweet smile before Henry twisted back around. He made no other move out of the embrace._

 _"_ _D'you wanna get Killian in here? It seems like the perfect time to continue his movi-cation." Emma joked, giving her son a way out if he wanted it._

 _"_ _In a minute." Henry whispered as he relaxed into her arms. And they actually stayed like that for several minutes, enjoying their quite mother-son moment._

Emma's heart warmed as her thoughts drifted to the rest of her family; how excited they were when they found out about Katie, how badly they want to meet her. She'd been putting it off by using the excuse that Katie wasn't ready. And while that had been true, she hadn't been ready either. Now, as she looked down at the little girl grasping at her so tightly, she realised that they both were ready. It was going to be a challenge, but they would face it together. And her family would accept her into their hearts, just as she and Killian had. And Katie would learn to trust them also. Her sweet, kind, gorgeous baby girl deserved a family. And they were going to give her one.


	7. Chapter 7

Henry parked his motorcycle a fair way down the street from the house; while his family had allowed him to ride one, he knew that they still weren't keen on it. He'd learnt it was best to keep the vehicle out of sight, to avoid any more lectures on safety. This was an important day for everyone and he wouldn't want an argument to ruin it. This was the day he finally met his little sister.

After making his way up the steps and onto the familiar porch, Henry removed his keys to unlock the door. Before the key reached the lock, however, he stopped himself. Emma had warned him that Katie was incredibly shy, especially around people she didn't know. Therefore maybe walking straight in on them was a mistake. Deciding to do whatever it took to make her comfortable, Henry rang the doorbell.

 _"_ _Swan, someone's at the door."_ He heard his stepfather's uncertainty through the door.

 _"_ _I know. I heard it."_ Emma's voice was barely audible, as if she was further away.

 _"_ _D'you reckon its Henry? We weren't expecting anyone else… were we?"_

 _"_ _Killian, here's the amazing thing about doors."_ Her voice was clearer now, as the sound of muffled footsteps reached his ears. _"If you want to know who's on the other side, you have to open them."_ Henry couldn't help but chuckle at his mother's tone.

A moment later the door flung open, revealing Emma with her hair piled on top of her head and wearing an oversized shirt; he guessed it was Killian's, but didn't really want to dwell on it.

"Henry." Emma exclaimed, her face lighting up as she pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. "It's so good to see you, kid."

"It's good to see you too, Mom." Henry squeezed his mother back with equal enthusiasm. She pulled back with a wide smile and led him into the house. He'd barely been able to get his bearings before he was pulled into the strong embrace of his stepfather.

"Good to see you're all in one piece, lad." Killian slapped his stepson on the back, before stepping back slightly to take him in.

"You too, Captain. Well almost." Henry gestured at his hook causing Killian to fain hurt. Henry warmed at the well versed exchange. When he started riding, Killian read up about the potential accidents and became a 'tad' overbearing. The pirate has since calmed down, and the discussions had become much more jovial.

"Are you two done?" Emma rolled her eyes as she made her way into the kitchen. She did not find their references to Henry's safety at all amusing.

"Come on love, it's just…" Killian made to placate his wife, but was brought up short by the look she gave him. He coughed as he scratched behind his ear. "Would you like something to drink, Henry?"

"Just water, thanks." He smirked as Killian leant to give Emma a kiss of the cheek, only to have her move out of reach.

"He thinks I'm the worrying one, but you see him with Katie." Emma sighs as her husband sends her a wink.

"Now Swan, there's nothing wrong with being cautious." Killian passes Henry a bottle of water from the fridge.

"I agree with that." Emma finally allows him to place a kiss to her cheek. There was a time when Henry felt uncomfortable at their displays of affection; now, he was used to it. Besides, seeing his mom so happy and open was worth it. "However, you can probably afford to answer the door without worrying over who it is."

"That's what that was." Henry chuckled, recalling the mini spat he'd heard through the door. "I did think it was bad form to get the lady to answer the door." He and Emma laughed at his terrible attempt at Killian's accent.

"We weren't sure when you were coming." Killian murmured, taking a sip of his rum as the tops of his ears turned red. "I don't like the idea of opening our home to practically anyone. Not with the princess under this roof."

"I think it's sweet." Emma entwined her fingers with his as they leaned against the kitchen counter. "If unnecessary."

"Speaking of a certain princes. Where is she?" Henry asked as he looked around the empty downstairs area.

"Katie's in her room." Emma gestured towards the stairs with a smile on her face. "I think she's nervous about meeting everyone, she barely slept last night." Honestly, none of them got much sleep the night before. They hoped that today went as smoothly as possible.

"D'you want me to go get the lass?" Though he tried to sound nonchalant, Emma could see the trepidation in his eyes. Even though their bond had come a long way, he was still anxious at being alone with Katie; especially when she was already feeling uneasy.

"Why don't you boys catch up?" Emma squeezed Killian's arm reassuringly, before she made her way towards the stairs. Henry could sense the emotions in the air and decided they were best left ignored for now.

"So come on, what's been going on while I've been away." Henry slapped Killian on the shoulder as he moved to sit at the table. The pirate watched his wife ascend the stairs with a slightly heavy heart. Once she was out of sight, he joined the lad in the kitchen.

"Katie, sweetie?" Emma called through the door to the little girl's bedroom. She waited a few seconds before grasping the door handle. "I'm coming in, ok?" She entered the room to the now-familiar sight of Katie sitting on the edge of her bed, with her teddy on her lap. She was staring at the bear intently. So intently, in fact, that she hadn't heard Emma come in. "Everything ok?" The little girl jumped and her eyes shot up to the woman in front of her. The sight of Emma made her relax and she cast her eyes back to the toy.

"I guess." Katie sighed as Emma knelt down in front of her, capturing the girl's gaze.

"Feeling a bit nervous about today, huh?" Emma took the small hands in her own and rubbed soothing circles into her skin. Katie nodded as she tightened her grip on the woman's hands. She had been so wary in the beginning, as she always was when it came to being touched. Now Emma's touch never failed to reassure her. Katie found it beyond comforting, especially with the calming motions Emma was using. "You know, if this is too much, we don't have to do this today. Everyone will understand." Katie bit her lip as she considered this option. Emma sensed the young girl's hesitation to either scenario. "Families are really good at being understanding. Especially ours."

"I'll go." Katie said the words before her brain had really registered the decision. She'd always longed for a family, a proper one, and she didn't want to lose a chance at having one. Hearing Emma call her family _'ours'_ sent a warmth through Katie. A hope that they were actually going to keep her.

"Are you sure, sweetie?" Emma searched Katie's eyes and was pleased to see a glint there, something akin to hope. The girl nodded again, this time with more conviction. "Alright then. Henry's just arrived, d'you want go and say hi?" Emma stood up, keeping a firm grasp on one of the child's hands. Katie clasped her teddy in her free hand and the two of them left the room. The sounds of male laughter reached their ears as they descended the stairs.

"Lad that is quite the tale." Killian chuckled as he attempted to regain himself. "If I were you, though, I wouldn't let Emma here that story. Your mother would most certainly kill you."

"His mother will do what now?" Emma raised an eyebrow in question as she entered the conversation. Both of the men jumped up from their seats.

"Henry and I were just discussing… things between men." Killian stuttered as he scratched behind his ear. Henry scoffed at that, but quickly turned sheepish under his mother's gaze.

"Hmmm…" Emma hummed suspiciously. She wanted to know the topic of conversation, but also knew that there was more important things to get to. Like introducing Katie to Henry. The young girl in question was staring up at the newcomer with wide eyes. "Katie this is Henry, our son. Henry this is Katie, our… the special girl we've told you about." Emma longed to introduce Katie as their daughter. As hers and Killian's. She just didn't want to pressure Katie, or to tempt fate. The young girl's mouth parted slightly at being called 'special'; no one had ever seen her as such before now.

"Hi, Katie." Henry smiled warmly as he knelt down to the child's level. He made sure to keep a good distance between them, not wanting her to feel threatened in any way. "It's so nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you." Katie smiled at the man in front of her. There was something in his smile that made her feel safe. She turned her head up towards Emma and saw that she was wearing the exact same smile. Katie didn't really get it, but her nerves weren't as bad as before.

"Right, love, d'you want to think about getting ready?" Killian smirked as he glanced at the time and then took in his wife's attire.

"I suppose I better had." Emma sighed gently. She sort of wished they didn't have to go over to her parent's right now. She would be happy to spend the day just the four of them, locked inside the house. But Henry was leaving again tomorrow, and he wanted to see the whole family beforehand. Katie clung herself closer to Emma's leg, silently asking her not to leave her. Killian winked at Emma when she looked at him in question. "Why doesn't Katie come up and help me find something to wear, while you guys get some stuff to take with us?" The girls made their way back up the stairs, as the boys returned to the kitchen.

"Wow, she's adorable." Henry gushed as he got a plastic bag out of the cupboard. "I mean, I know you said she was, but wow."

"Aye, she's… indescribable." Killian chuckled softly as he loaded a few bottles of wine, and one bottle of rum, into the bag. He wasn't planning on drinking much today, neither was Emma, but it was good form to bring supplies for their hosts.

#

They had to park at the edge of the drive leading up to the Charming House, as many guests had arrived already. Emma didn't know her mom had invited so many people for Henry's Brief Return/ Katie's Arrival gathering. But then again, it was her mother, so she should've guessed. Killian reached forward from the backseat to squeeze her shoulder in comfort. He knew how anxious she felt at these sorts of things, and he thought to reassure her before she'd even looked to him. God, Emma loved her pirate.

"Come on, Mom, it won't be that bad." Henry joked from the passenger seat next to her. He laughed slightly as he exited the car, making his way towards the house. The rest of them took it much slower. Emma held out her hand for Katie to hold on to as they started walking. Killian hung back to take in the sight of the two of them. They made such a perfect picture; his two girls. He would never tire of watching them together.

"You coming, pirate?" Emma called over her shoulder, making Katie giggle despite her nerves. Killian stuck his tongue out at them before jogging to catch up. His heart jumped in his chest when Katie offered her hand to him. He took it ever-so-gently in his, careful to keep as loose a hold as possible. Emma shot him a knowing look.

"Henry, my boy." David greeted as he swung the door open to greet his grandson. The young man was quickly pulled into a fierce hug by the prince.

"Hey, Grandpa." Henry chuckled as they pulled apart from the embrace. No sooner had he done that, was he hit with a hug that almost knocked him off his feet.

"Oh Henry, it's so good to see you." Snow gushed as she laid a kiss on her grandson's cheek. Henry cringed slightly, but didn't have the heart to wipe his cheek.

"You two, Grandma." Henry smiled warmly. He had missed his family; he hadn't realised how much until now.

"Where's your mom and Killian?" Snow asked as she looked behind him. Her eyes lit up excitedly. "And Katie of course!" Henry stood back as her squeals reached a ridiculously high pitch.

"Um, they were right behind me." All of three of them looked towards the driveway. The sight that met them warmed all of their hearts. Emma and Killian were walking along, each holding a hand of Katie's in their own. Every so often they would swing their arms so that the young girl was lifted off of the ground for a second or so. They looked happy together. Like a proper little family.

"Oh look at them, David." Snow reached for the camera around her neck. She'd vowed to take more pictures of them all together, so that they had memories to cherish of the little moments. She snapped a few pictures quickly, before Emma could get close enough to spot her. Though Snow was a fan of this new hobby of hers, her daughter was not.

"I'm going to go put these in the kitchen, if that's alright." Henry lifted the bag of supplies in reference, before making his way further into the house. The sounds of him being greeted by various members of their family, and the town, emanated from within.

"Alright, Dave." Killian let go of Katie's hand so that he could greet his father-in-law.

"Hook." The two men engaged in an affectionate hug; making sure to end it with a manly slap on the other's back.

"Emma, I'm so glad you've come." Snow wrapped her daughter up in a side hug, mindful of the young girl clasping the blonde's hand.

"Me too, Mom." Emma sighed contently. She hadn't seen her mother since Katie had arrived, and she had missed her. "Mom and Dad, I have someone extremely important for you to meet." Emma brought her hands to the young girl's shoulders and positioned the child in front of herself. "This is Katie. Katie, these are my parents, Snow and David." Katie's mouth dropped open on hearing the woman's name. She was a seven-year-old girl after all, and princesses were her favourite. So someone sharing a name with one of them was going to excite her. Emma had explained to Katie, as vaguely as possible, that she had grown up in foster homes and had only recently found her parents.

"Hello Katie, it's lovely to meet you at last." Snow blinked back unshed tears as she looked down at, hopefully, her newest grandchild. She ached to bring the girl in to a bone-crushing hug, to hold her in her arms. However, she resisted. Emma had explained what Katie had gone through and how it had made her shy away from human contact. It broke her heart, but she knew that their family were more than qualified to fill her life with love and trust.

"Yes, we've been looking forward to this." David smiled warmly as Katie's wide blue eyes met his own. The royal couple seemed absolutely taken by the newest arrival.

"Right, should we go in then." Killian offered when his parents-in-law seemed to be in some sort of trance. He didn't blame them; Katie was a wonder to behold.

"Of course." David shook his head slightly and turned to head inside. Killian turned to look at Katie, who had since cast her eyes to the ground. He then engaged in one of their silent conversations with his wife.

"After you, milady." Killian dramatically gestured with his arm for Snow to proceed him into the house. The princess was hesitant for a moment before nodding politely and accepting the offer. Once everyone had walked out of earshot, Emma bent down to Katie's level.

"Are you still ok with this, sweetie?" She rubbed her hands up the young girl's arms.

"Yes." Katie whispered, like it was an important secret. "They seem nice." Emma smiled at the girl's initial judgement of her family.

"They are. You know, any time in there you want to leave, you just let me or Killian know and we will." Emma gazed firmly into the blue orbs staring back at her. She would hate for Katie to feel uncomfortable and suffer in silence.

"I will." Katie leant forward and pressed a kiss to Emma's cheek. The saviour's heart clenched at the gesture.

"Come on, then. Let's go have fun." Emma straightened up and took the small hand in hers automatically. They could do this. They could totally do this.

The party (which Snow insisted was just a casual gathering, but who was she kidding?) consisted mostly of everyone fawning over Henry and his stories about his newfound independence. Majority of the guests had come and introduced themselves to Katie, but didn't push her for conversation. For this, her prospective parents were extremely grateful. Neal hadn't even noticed her in his excitement at seeing Henry; the little boy offering her a quick cursory ' _Hi_ ' when prompted to by his mother. Katie hadn't said a word since entering the house, which was to be expected. However, she did seem to be enjoying herself.

"More cake, your highness." Killian inquired as he sat down on the couch that Katie had been inhabiting for almost the whole time they'd been there. He held out a plate with a slice of the Rainbow Cake that Aurora had made for the celebration. The young girl was tempted, she really was, but she was so full up from all the food already. She licked her lips before shaking her head in response. "You sure, it's quite delicious." Killian tried to sound as genuine as possible, although he found the cake way too sweet for his liking. All of the kids seemed to be enjoying it though. Katie giggled as she lifted up the empty plate next to her to show that she had tried it, and had also thought it to be delicious.

"I know." Katie cupped her hands around Killian's ear, so only he could hear her speak. She pulled away and leaned into his side. Killian hardly dared to breathe as he looked down at the young girl against him. He simply rested his head lightly on top of hers.

"Emma, look." Belle nudged Emma's elbow and pointed her attention to the living room. The blonde melted at the sight of her little family enjoying a quiet moment together. She quickly searched for her mother, to ask her to take a picture of them. Snow was already there, camera in hand, capturing the pair. Emma had never really liked the new obsession with photos, but she guessed it wasn't that bad. She simply stared at her husband for a few more moments. Savoured a sight that she had dreamt of for longer than she'd admit.

"Hey sailor." Emma winked as she approached the couch. Killian had a look of awe in his eyes when he met her gaze. It was clear to see how much this meant to him. Their eyes then both travelled to the young girl breathing softly against his chest. "I've always said you make a good pillow, Katie obviously agrees."

"Aye." Killian breathed out in wonder. The fact that this young girl felt comfortable enough to fall asleep on him meant the world. She'd trusted him enough to keep her safe, and he vowed never to give her reason to change her mind.

"Maybe we should take her home." Emma deflated as her eyes fell on Henry. She felt like she had barely talked to him all afternoon. This was probably the last time they were going to see each other for who knows how long. But he was a grown man now, and she had a young child to think about.

"No need. Just put her in the guest room for the time being." David's voice surprised both of them. The prince had seen the longing for Henry in his daughter's eyes, and understood perfectly. He also wanted to prolong this time with Katie. Time was precious, they had all learnt, and to be spent with loved ones.

"Are you sure, Dad?" Emma asked out of politeness, trying not to give away how up for the idea she was. It would give her the time she wanted with Henry, without neglecting Katie in the process.

"Of course, princess. Your mother makes sure that room is always ready to receive guests." David reassured her.

"What d'you think?" Emma turned to her husband, whose eyes were still transfixed on Katie's sleeping form.

"I think it's an excellent idea." Killian nodded in approval. With Emma's help, he was able to stand from the couch and gather Katie in his arms without waking her. The young girl simply snuggled further against him in her sleep.

"Thank you." Emma pressed a chaste kiss to her pirate's lips. She then laid a feather light kiss to the sleeping girl's forehead. "Sweet dreams."

"I'll be back shortly, love." Killian promised as he followed David upstairs. Emma watched them go with a soft smile on her lips. She then headed to the dining room, where Henry was having a conversation with Archie and Marco.

The event had only lasted a few hours, and soon the house started to empty. Emma and Regina were assisting Snow with the clean-up in the kitchen. Although Regina was focused more on the wine bottles than the bin bags. The boys had volunteered to sort out the dining room, which incidentally was where all of the leftover food was.

"I had a lovely time, didn't you two?" Snow smiled as she passed clean glasses to Emma to put away.

"It was great, Mom, thanks." Emma laid a hand on her mother's shoulder to express her gratitude. Both of women turned to Regina who was staring out of the window with a far off look in her eye. "Hey Regina, you ok?"

"Fine." Regina replied too quickly, her eyes snapping back into the room. Under the joint sceptical stare she sighed. "He's just so grown up, isn't he?"

"I know, I can't believe it either." Emma's tone turned wistful as they all looked towards the wall of the dining room, as if they could physically see Henry.

"He seems happy." Snow attempted to reign in the nostalgia somewhat, to keep the conversation positive.

"Yes, he does." Regina took a sip of wine, letting a small smile fall to her lips.

Katie stirred awake to the sound of muffled voices. She slowly opened her eyes and noticed that there was sunlight coming through the curtains. What time was it? She didn't really remember falling asleep. The room started to come in to view and the girl immediately didn't recognise where she was. It wasn't her room. It wasn't her parent's room. It wasn't even her old room at the children's home. Her chest started to tighten as she tried to remember how she'd gotten here. Had Emma and Killian finally had enough of her? Was this another foster home? Her brain started to feel fuzzy as air wouldn't come into her chest. Her hands clenched the sheets as tears fell down her cheeks. This couldn't be happening. Not again. She was all alone. She needed help.

"She's precious, a real sweetheart." Snow gushed as the woman sat drinking coffee at the kitchen table.

"Emma, I'm happy for you. I really am." Regina knew how much it meant to Emma that she could raise a child with Killian.

"Thanks. Means a lot." Emma blushed a she blew on her drink before tasting it. "I just hope she wants to become our family."

"Emma, it is clear to see how much you two care about her. For what it's worth, I think you're already family." Snow interlaced her fingers with her daughter's. "Katie definitely trusts the pair of you."

"I hope so, Mom." Emma sighed as she brought her hands back around her mug. "It's just after everything she's been through…"

"I meant to ask about that." Regina leant forward as her day's questions came to the front of her mind. "I know it's… delicate… but there are reasons behind her shyness, I take it?"

"It's… Yes. Some awful things happened-" Emma twisted in her seat uncomfortably. This wasn't really her story to tell, so she didn't know how much to tell them.

 _"_ _MOMMY!"_ The screech travelled down from upstairs. The women at the table froze. Emma jumped to her feet when it quickly clicked that it was Katie screaming.

 _"_ _MOMMY! D-DADDY!_ " Tears came to Emma's eyes and her heart leapt into her throat. She ran towards the stairs, slamming into another person going at speed. She didn't even have to look to know that it was Killian.

 _"_ _I…. I…. I… I…"_ They both looked at each other with fear in their eyes. Without another moment's hesitation, the couple teared up the stairs and into the guest bedroom.

"Oh, baby." Emma sat next to Katie and took one of her hands in her own. Killian followed his wife's lead and did the same. He had never helped her through a panic attack before, but Emma had, so he let her lead by example. "Katie. Katie it's ok. You're ok. We're here. Mommy and Daddy are here." Emma ignored the tears falling down her cheeks. She had to focus on her daughter. "Breathe, sweetie. You need to breathe for me ok?" Katie shook her head as her gasps became shorter. "You can do this. I promise you, Katie. Now in for 3. 1…2…3." The girl tried to follow her given instruction but only got to '2' before hiccoughing. "That's ok, sweetie. You're doing really well. Now try again ok? In for 3. 1…2…3. And out for 3. 1…2…3." Katie shoulders started to shake as she completed the breathing exercises. Emma continued through the process, encouraged by the slowing of Katie's chest.

"Well done, lass." Killian choked out. He marvelled as his wife; her calmness the only thing getting any of them through this.

"Feeling better sweetie?" Emma asked after several minutes. Katie fell into her arms as fresh tears soaked through Emma's dress. She held her tight, pressing loving kisses into the brown waves. Killian stroked the young girl's back in comfort. He could feel her little form shaking after the ordeal. It broke his heart.

"Do you want to talk about what happened, princess?" Killian prompted after a while sat in silence.

"I… um… I woke up and di-didn't know w-where I w-was." Katie's voice was muffled against Emma's chest as she sniffled. "I-I thought…"

"What did you think, sweetie?" Emma spoke softly and began carding her fingers through the girl's hair.

"I thought th-that maybe you did-didn't w-want me. That you g-gave me away." Katie buried impossibly closer into the embrace. Emma met Killian's eyes and saw them glistening with tears. He looked absolutely wrecked. She's sure she looked the same.

"Oh, baby that would never happen. I promise." Emma pulled away slightly so that she could cradle this girl's face in her hands. "You know why?" Katie shook her head, wiping her face on her sleeve. "Because we're your parents. And we love you. We will always love you. We will always want you."

"You w-want to be my mo-mommy?" Katie asked in disbelief. When Emma smiled and nodded, she turned towards Killian. "And m-my daddy?" Her voice was quieter then so Killian slowly reached out to cup her cheek.

"Aye, lass. They'll be no getting rid of us." They all let out watery-chuckles at that.

"Promise?" Katie's hands went to play with Killian's charms around his neck.

"With all our hearts." The pirate nodded earnestly. Katie threw her arms around her new father's neck and felt his strong arms come around her. But she didn't fear him or his strength. She knew he would use it to protect her, never against her. Emma joined in the hug, which became a mess of tears and laughter.

The three of them laid on the bed together, Katie in the middle and just talked about nothing. The seven-year-old was quickly claimed by tiredness as the emotions of the day caught up on her. Killian hummed an old sea shanty to lull her to sleep, while Emma played soothingly with her hair.

"We have a daughter." Emma sighed gently as she interlocked hands with her pirate over their daughter's stomach.

"Aye, love." Killian brought their joined hands up to his lips. He processed to lay a kiss on each of her knuckles, not breaking eye contact with his true love. "That we do."


	8. Chapter 8

**Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! I certainly did** **J** **Here's a Christmas chapter on Katie's first Christmas in the Swan-Jones Household. It got away from me a little bit, so it's longer than my usual entries – but that can only be a good thing, right?**

 **Those of you waiting for the 'Magic and Fairytales are real' conversation - it isn't in this chapter, but it is coming.**

 **Hope you enjoy this. As always I love to know what you think xx**

The warming aroma of cinnamon, ginger and freshly baked cookies filled the kitchen. Emma hummed along to a Christmas song on the radio as she watched Katie running a spoon around the mixing bowl. Snow nodded at her granddaughter as she brought the delicious mixture to her mouth. Emma's smile grew as the young girl's eyes widened.

"Does it taste good, sweetie?" The blonde asked as Katie scraped the spoon against the leftover mixture once more. Her brown curls bounced as she nodded her answer. The young girl had yet to speak around anyone but her parents. She offered the spoon to Emma for a taste. "For me? Ah thank you." The sickly sweet flavours danced on her tongue. She moaned in appreciation, only partially for Katie's benefit. "Wow, I think these are the best yet, Mom."

"Well that's because I now have an amazing helper." Snow smiled warmly at Katie, who returned her own shy smile. She liked this woman, and she enjoyed the morning that they'd all spent together. She wasn't quite ready to trust her yet though. "What do say while they're in the oven, we get to work on some icing?" Katie's expression became even brighter as Snow started to gather the ingredients and colouring that they needed.

Emma couldn't help but wonder if this was what Christmas would have been like if she'd grown up with her parents. Sure she'd spent the last few holidays with them, but seeing her mother with a young girl really brought home what she'd missed out on.

 _Emma lay shivering under the thin blanket; which was more holes than blanket. The other girls in the room were fast asleep, as far as Emma could tell. She, on the other hand, hadn't slept a wink. It was Christmas Day. The best day of the year. She didn't expect much, even at her young age she knew that the world didn't really care much for orphans. But at her last group home, she'd woken to find a small package under the tree with her name on it. It had been a necklace with a swan on it. It became her most treasured possession (well asides from her baby blanket). It showed her that someone cared about her. Santa Claus did._

 _Emma suddenly heard a noise come from downstairs. She glanced at the clock which told her it was 3 in the morning. Way too late for anyone to still be up. And way too early for anyone to be getting up. Which meant it could be him. It could be Santa._

 _Her little feet froze as they landed on the cold wooden floor, but she kept going. She crept across the room with her baby blanket hugged to her chest. Emma slowly made her way down the stairs, clutching the banister as she went. Entering the living room her eyes landed on a figure._

 _"Santa?!" Emma exclaimed as she reached to turn on the light. She rubbed her eyes so that she could adjust to the sudden brightness._

 _"What the-!" The gruff voice made Emma freeze where she stood. It wasn't Santa. It was her foster father. "What are you doing? Huh?" The man raised his voice when she didn't answer._

 _"I...ummm..." Emma stammered as she tried to get her feet to move. So that she could run back to bed and hide under her blanket._

 _"You were what?" The man stumbled as he approached the young girl. "Answer me, you little brat!"_

 _"It's Christmas..." Emma whispered meekly as her lip began to tremble. She received a roll of his eyes followed by a glare in response. "I thought that... that maybe Santa... that he had..."_

 _"You thought I was Santa Claus?" The booming laugh made Emma tighten her grip on her blanket. "Don't you know, kid?" The man bent down so his face was level with hers. She scrunched her nose up at the foul stench on his breath. "Santa. Isn't. Real." Emma's eyes widened as he started to laugh again. "He doesn't exist. And even if he did, d'you think he'd care about unwanted brats like you."_

 _"You're lying!" Emma shouted as hot angry tears fell down her cheeks. She went to push him away, but he grabbed her arm in his hand._

 _"Don't be so pathetic!" He tightened his hold on Emma's arm, causing her to cry out in pain. "Santa doesn't exist. He can't save you. No-one can." The man leaned in closer still, making Emma's body shake in fear. He laughed once more before releasing her from his hold. "There's no magic in this world. No fairy godmothers or men in red coats or flying reindeer. This is your lot!" The man's slurred shouts rang in her ears as she ran back up to her room._

 _Emma bit her lip as she sobbed silently into her pillow. There was no Santa Claus. The one person who she thought cared about her wasn't real. She truly was unwanted and unloved by everyone. And it that moment, Emma decided that Christmas was in fact the worst day of the year._

Emma was brought back to the present by the feel of her daughter's hand on her leg. She looked down to see a pair of anxious eyes looking up at her. Before Emma could speak to Katie, the girl hugged her arms around her. "Hey, you okay?" Emma whispered as she reciprocated the hug. Katie's nod against her stomach failed to fill her with much confidence. Snow's eyes met Emma's as she looked to her mother for any reason behind this behaviour.

"I think I might leave the icing to you two." Snow started as she undid the apron around her waist. Emma went to protest her mother's departure; she didn't want her to feel pushed out of their lives. The older woman simply help up a placating hand. "I've got to go and get Neal ready for his dress rehearsal. Left up to your father he'd probably be wrapped head-to-toe in tinsel for his outfit." The women said their goodbyes with Katie's arms still holding onto the blonde. She did lift her head to smile at her grandmother as she exited the house.

"Not that I don't love hugging you, sweetie, but d'you wanna tell me what brought this on?" Emma bent down to her daughter's eye level, taking her face in her hands.

"I wanted to make feel better." Katie shrugged as she fiddled with the ring hanging off of the necklace around her mother's neck. "You looked sad. And when I'm sad you hug me and I feel better. So I thought…" The young girl cast her eyes down and began to worry her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Thank you, Katie." Emma blinked back tears. She was once again stunned by the young girl's capacity for kindness, even after what she'd been through. "That was just what I needed."

"Really?" Katie smiled as her eyes once again met the green ones in front of her. "What made you feel sad?"

"Um, I was just thinking about how lucky I am to have a family to spend Christmas with. And how hard it was when I would spend Christmas alone." Emma tried to answer the question without ruining the moment. "Now though I have my parents, Henry, you and Daddy, so I couldn't be happier."

"And I have you." Katie grinned widely at that fact.

"Yes, sweetie, you have all of us." Emma went to check on the cookies in the oven, not wanting them to burn now that she had pretty much been left in charge of them. "Santa Claus is going to have his work cut out, bringing so many presents down one chimney." Emma laughed as she decided to remove the treats before they darkened too much. She felt a tug on her sleeve as she reached for the oven gloves. Emma glanced at the girl expectantly.

"I know." Katie sighed sadly, which made Emma's brow furrow in confusion. "That he's not real."

"Who... who told you that?" Emma stuttered out. She didn't quite know how to react to that admission.

"I've always known." Katie scuffed her feet along the tiled floor. "My Da-" She stopped the word before she could finish it. That man wasn't her dad, Killian was. He taught her what a Daddy was supposed to be like; he was supposed to be kind, caring and protective. Most importantly he was meant to love his child. Her daddy did love her, the other man didn't. She saw a sadness in her mommy's eyes at the mention of that man. Taking a deep breath, Katie continued. "He told me that Santa Claus wasn't real. He was just made up to trick stupid kids. And to take people's money."

"So you've never had a Christmas where you believed in Santa Claus?" Emma placed the cookies on the side to cool before turning back round to her daughter. Katie shook her head slowly. The blonde wasn't sure if it was because of the memory still floating around her head. Or whether it was just a desperate need to allow Katie to be a happy, carefree child. Whatever it was it lit something inside of her. "See, cause the thing about Santa Claus is that he only comes to children who believe in him." Katie's face turned sceptical at that, but that only spurred Emma on more. "You know what makes his sleigh fly right?"

"The reindeer." Katie supplied, deciding to go along with whatever her mom was trying to do.

"That's right. But how do the reindeer manage to fly to pull the sleigh?" Emma sat down on a kitchen chair facing Katie. The young girl thought for a second before shrugging. "Christmas spirit. From all the children who believe in him."

"Just cause you believe something, doesn't make it true." Katie argued weakly. She wanted to believe her mom. She wanted Santa to be real. Emma smiled at the familiar phrasing; she and Katie were ridiculously alike. She clasped her daughter's hands in her own.

"That's exactly what makes it true." Emma spoke with such conviction that she almost convinced herself. To be honest, since she found out about the whole fairytales being real thing, she had been keeping an eye out for a jolly old man in red. Katie hummed sweetly, taking in those words. She'd never been told things like that. She wasn't used to hearing these little words that made children feel that bit better about the world. But in the small time she'd known Emma and Killian, she'd already started a mental list of phrases that helped her when she needed it. "Now, I think it's time we got to work on this icing."

Killian arrived home some hours later to find the downstairs area completely empty, apart from a slightly chaotic mess in the kitchen. He toed off his shoes and slid out of his old leather; which came in useful during these colder months. His confused expression morphed into a genuine smile as he took in the trays of iced gingerbread men and cookies in various Christmas themed shapes. Emma had mentioned that Snow was planning to pop by, and colourful holiday baking had his mother-in-law's name all over it. Chuckling to himself, he got to work on cleaning up the worst of it. Emma was obviously content with leaving it in this state for the time being. He, on the other hand, was not. The treats were delicious though, and he found himself sampling one of each design before deciding that maybe the girls were planning to feed people besides himself with the goodies.

"Killian? You home?" Emma's voice rang down from upstairs.

"Just got in, love. Won't be a minute." Killian called in return as he loaded up the dishwasher. It'd taken a while for him to get affiliated with the contraption, but he now found it to be of great assistance.

"Stop cleaning up my mess, and get up here." His wife's amusement could clearly be heard. The pirate laughed loudly as he quickly put the rest of the dishes in to be cleaned, before going in search of his family. He entered his bedroom to the now familiar sight of his two girls snuggled under the covers watching a movie. No matter how many times he happened upon them like this, he's sure his heart would still stutter as it did now.

"Hi Daddy." Katie sighed from her place against Emma's side. Her eyes remained half closed as she slowly turned her head in his direction.

"Hello, princess." Killian smiled as he bent down to lay a kiss to his little girl's head.

"How's it looking down there?" Emma smirked as her husband made his way round to greet her.

"You know me too well, love." Killian pressed his lips to hers softly and felt her relax into him. Katie smile widened as her mommy's heart beat increased under her ear. She loved how much affection her parents showed each other. They really cared about each other, and she was beginning to believe that they cared for her too. Her first parents never did anything like this. She shuddered as she thought about what she'd seen them do to each other. Emma broke the kiss as her daughter tensed slightly against her. She pulled Katie's slight frame tighter against her. "How was your day, lass?"

"We made cookies with Snow today, didn't we sweetie?" Emma's tone was one of childish glee as she thought of their time together. Katie sat up slightly and nodded her head.

"I am well aware of that seeing as I came across the aftermath in the kitchen." Killian chuckled as he kept his eyes on his daughter. Her smile had lessened slightly, but remained on her face nonetheless. "They're delicious."

"They as in plural? How many did you have, pirate?" Emma laughed at her husband's sheepish expression.

"I have to be able to make an informed reliable assessment." Killian winked which resulted in an eye roll from his wife. And a giggle from Katie.

"Do you want to watch the movie with us?" Katie asked quietly, feeling slightly nervous at the question. She wanted a family to cuddle up and watch a Christmas movie with for her whole life.

"Why I would love to, princess." Killian bowed by her side before joining his girls on the bed. Emma un-paused 'Miracle on 34th Street' and they all settled in to watch the remainder of a film based on belief, love and friendship at Christmas.

David loved doing this. He really did. He loved the smiles on the children's faces, especially when he was the reason for them. However the chair was becoming slightly uncomfortable. And the thick layers of his costume were making him rather warm. And he could definitely do without the itching material constantly assaulting his nose. But it was all worth it.

"How you holding up, Santa?" Ruby swanned over with a glass of water for him. The girl was not letting the cold weather dictate how she dressed, and her elf outfit was no exception to her usual style.

"Just fine thanks Ruby." David gulped down his water greedily, relishing in the momentary absence of the beard around his mouth. "Out of curiosity, though, how many more are there?"

"Ready to wind down with some Eggnog, mince pies and Mrs Claus?" Ruby laughed as her friend shot her a look. She took the glass off of him and helped him to adjust his beard so it looked realistic. Well, as realistic as a fake white fluffy beard could look. "Don't worry, I'd say you're definitely over halfway. And I have a feeling you're going to enjoy the next one." With that she left the lobby of the inn to collect the child from those waiting in the diner. A few moments later, David heard the knock on the door.

"Come in." He said in his deep Santa Claus voice, putting in the effort to sound as upbeat as he had earlier in the day.

"There's a visitor here for you, Santa. A child who promises that she's been very good this year." Ruby opened the door and stepped into the room.

"Well bring her in." David shook his head slightly as Ruby winked at him. She then stood aside so that the child could enter the room. David's heart warmed to see Katie standing there. He had spent little time with his granddaughter, something he longed to change. She was clutching tightly to Killian's hand and staring at him with big eyes. "Ho, Ho, Ho. Merry Christmas." He jiggled the fake belly in front of him as he spoke. Killian had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at the sight.

"Merry Christmas, Santa." Killian smirked as he walked the two of them forward. He knew Katie had been nervous about this. He just hadn't known how nervous until Ruby had come to fetch them. The young girl seemed to be practically holding her breath.

"Why don't you come sit… next to me?" David nodded towards a spare chair in the room. He knew that Katie wouldn't sit on his lap, he didn't even have to ask her. Killian knelt down beside the chair as his daughter gingerly sat on it. She seemed to relax slightly. "Now my elves tell me that you've been a very good girl this year, is this true?" David spoke softer than he had done with the other children, adopting a more normal tone than his previous over-the-top booming one. Katie glanced at her daddy, who nodded his head at her. She repeated the gesture to the man in front of her. "Well then, you definitely deserve to get a present for Christmas then, don't you think so Dad?"

"Oh most definitely." Killian replied as a small smile graced his daughter's face. The various traditions in this world, especially at Christmas, confused him on the most part. But this was one that had always warmed his heart.

 _Killian couldn't take his eyes off of Emma. Seeing her with a child on her lap was tugging his heart in every direction. It was an image that had inspired his dreams and haunted his nightmares for the best part of a year now. She was completely enthralled with the young boy who was bouncing excitedly in her arms. When Snow had told them that she was sadly unable to bring Neal to visit 'Santa', Killian had been reluctant to offer his services. However Emma had quickly jumped at the chance to chaperone. So here they were._

 _"_ _Killy!" Neal exclaimed with eyes that grew impossibly wider. "We're next!"_

 _"_ _Aye lad, that we are." Killian chuckled at young boy excitement. He'd been informed of their rising position in the queue since they had arrived some 15 minutes prior._

 _"_ _Hey little man." Ruby greeted as she bent down in front of her godson. "Are you ready to meet Santa?"_

 _"_ _Yesssss!" Neal clapped his hands as struggled to remove himself from his sister's embrace. After a few moments where his efforts brought no avail, Killian and Ruby both moved their gaze to Emma. She was staring down at the boy with a slightly glazed look._

 _"_ _Swan, I think the young prince is rather insistent to see Father Christmas." Killian tried lightly, but his the look he set her with was anything but._

 _"_ _Yeah Emmy, let go." Neal whined as his sister finally relaxed her grasp. The boy was off like a shot, with Ruby hot on his heels._

 _"_ _Emma-" Killian reached for her hand over the table, only to have her pull back as if burned by his touch._

 _"_ _I'm fine." Emma's voice was monotone as she stood from the table and followed the others into the lobby. Killian ran a hand over his face before he too made his way to the inn._

 _Neal loved every second of his meeting with Santa. And if he worked out that it was in fact his father, well he didn't let on to anyone. Emma snapped a ridiculous amount of photos on her phone. David chuckled throughout her constant pleas for just one more shot of the pair together. If he noticed anything odd about his daughter's rare love for photography, well he didn't call her out on it. Killian, on the other hand, watched his wife from the back of the room with more than a hint of concern._

 _"_ _I got a present!" Neal declared as he held up his gift to Killian once they had exited the diner. "Can I open it now?" The pirate opened his mouth to refuse him, but a woman's voice beat him to it._

 _"_ _Of course you can, bud." Emma laughed as her brother teared into the brightly wrapped box; it was so neat that she was sure that her mother had wrapped it._

 _"_ _I thought that gifts weren't supposed to be opened before Christmas day?" Killian raised an eyebrow as his wife's cheeks blushed faintly._

 _"_ _Christ, Killian, one won't hurt." Emma snapped before kneeling down in front of her brother to look at his new toy car. Killian blinked a few times at the sting that was left by the bite in her words. Sadly it did not shock him, as this was pretty much normal for their exchanges at present._

 _It wasn't until after Snow had picked Neal up from their house that the rising tension came to a head. Emma practically jumped on him as soon as the door had closed. Her hands immediately got to work ripping off the belt around his waist. She'd barely gotten that unbuckled before her shaking hands fumbled with the zipper of his jeans._

 _"_ _Emma." Killian warned he attempted to lay a calming hand on her shoulder. She stepped out of his reach to divest herself of her jeans and knickers in one go. "Emma, stop!" His hook successfully halted her movements. They both stayed frozen for what seemed like hours, letting the charged atmosphere beat around them. "Love, talk to me. I want to know what's going on in that head of yours."_

 _"_ _What if…" Emma's voice was so small that it made his heart ache. "What if I don't get a second chance?" She righted her clothing, which Killian took as a cue to do the same. "Today, I know you had your doubts about taking Neal and I probably should have listened to you. But I didn't. As usual I thought that I knew best. But all I could think about was what if this is the first…last…the only time that we get to take a child to one of these things." Emma's arms wrapped tightly around herself as she turned away from her husband._

 _"_ _This isn't an ending Emma. There's more to come." Killian got up of the couch with the intention to reach for her, but then fought better of it._

 _"_ _You don't know that." Emma gritted out as she spun around to face her husband._

 _"_ _It's going to be ok." Killian whispered in a soft contrast to her tone of her voice._

 _"_ _How can you be so infuriatingly optimistic?" She attempted to hold onto her anger but it dissipated the moment that she fell into his waiting embrace._

 _"_ _Must be hanging out with you heroes for so long." The pirate chuckled as Emma gave a watery laugh at the words. "It'll all work out, love, trust me."_

 _"_ _Always."_

Killian took out his phone to snap a few photos of Katie receiving her gift from 'Santa'. He sent them to Emma, who couldn't be there since she had been required at the station. At least now, she would have proof. He was right. They would be able to enjoy moments such as this with a child of their own.

"Before you know it, it will be Christmas Day." Emma whispered as she laid a kiss to her daughter's forehead. She tucked the covers up under the girl's chin. Katie's eyes had already fluttered closed, her tiny body already pleading for sleep. Emma watched her for a few more moments before she stood from her crouch next to the bed. "Goodnight, sweetie."

"Goodnight, mommy." Katie mumbled almost as instinct as sleep began to claim her. Emma felt her heart warm at the title that now came so naturally from her little girl. She pulled the door to, leaving the room cast in the soft glow from the blue nightlight. She then made her way downstairs to find a certain pirate.

"Blasted thing!" Killian seethed as he threw the object in his hand across the room. Emma put her finger to her lips as she went to retrieve the item from under the television. "I'm apologise, Swan, but his is ridiculous. I've seen pirate treasure maps that were easier to decode than this."

"Let me see." Emma placed her herself next to Killian on the floor and held out her hand for the instructions. On first glance, it did look a bit intense. Especially for a child's princess castle. "Alright, it says take screws E through washers D through bar C using wrench F which is… not provided." Emma sighed as she dropped the instructions to the floor.

"Bloody hell." Killian gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to destroy the one turret he'd actually successfully built.

"Look, it's getting late, why don't we leave this and head up to bed. Then in the morning we can just call Marco, he's really good at this sort of thing." Emma used her slow persuasive voice that she reserved just for her husband.

"NO!" Killian shouted and Emma clamped her hand over his mouth. At her glare, he gave her an apologetic look. "We're fine. We're The Saviour and Captain Hook, love, we've battled monsters and witches and madmen. Christ, we've been to hell and back. We can handle the assembly of a princess castle."

"Okay, Captain, let's do this." Emma smirked as she leant over to place a kiss to his cheek. He turned his head at the last moment to capture her lips in his. It a chaste kiss, over way before Emma expected as Killian turned his attention back to the instructions. "But first, I'm going to need refreshments." She removed herself to the kitchen and started making to cups of hot chocolate. As it warmed, Emma watched her husband do war with the drawbridge. She understood his desperation. She felt it too. They both wanted this Christmas to be perfect for Katie. The poor kid had never even had a proper Christmas.

 _Katie sat in the laundry cupboard, hidden under a few sheets and pillowcases. She held her hand against her mouth as tears streamed down her face. Her dad was downstairs with a few of his friends. She didn't like them; even at her young age she knew they were bad people. When she'd peeked into the main room her mom hadn't been with them. She ran to her parent's bedroom, hoping to find a safe place under their covers. Her mom was in there with a man. She'd ran away before she was seen. She knew her mom didn't like her being in there when she had men in there. There were a few people in her room too, she didn't know what they were doing in there, but she knew she wasn't wanted. So she'd ran to the laundry cupboard._

 _That had been 4 hours ago. Her legs hurt and felt numb at the same time. Her arm stung from where she'd accidently leant on the hot water pipe. She was tired and just wanted her bed. She didn't even have her teddy with her, as he was currently in her room. The noises outside had started to quieten down somewhat. She took a deep breath and stood up on shaky legs. She pushed open the door and crept into the hall. It looked a clear way to her room. Katie looked into the main room and saw people asleep all over the room, in varying stages of undress. Carefully entering her room, Katie saw that there were still a few people in there. Along with tubes, needles, rolled up paper and basically a lot of mess. Also her room smelled funny. She grabbed her teddy out from under a woman's leg, before leaving._

 _Fresh tears came to her eyes. She had nowhere to go. She wouldn't dare go into her parent's room. Pulling a pile of sheets out from the laundry room, Katie cocooned herself inside them. She clung her teddy to her chest as her breath started to come faster. She didn't like when this happened. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut._

 _The sun was starting to shine through the rips in the curtains. Katie could see the blades of light behind her eyelids. It was Christmas Day. That's what some of the women had said. She didn't really know what Christmas was. They seemed to think it was a pretty big deal. Her dad had just laughed when she'd asked him about it. Her mom had shrugged and walked away._

 _The next day, something happened that meant Katie would always remember Christmas Day. It was the day her mom left. It was the day her dad decided that she was to blame. It was the day that everything got even worse._

Katie stretched out in her bed as she began to wake up. Her eyes flew open as felt her foot brush against something at the foot of her bed. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes so that she could see what it was. It was a bright red sock. A very large, bright red sock. Curiously Katie pulled the stocking towards her and read the label.

 _To Katie,_

 _Because you have been such a good girl this year._

 _Merry Christmas!_

 _Love, Santa_

She let out an excited giggle and went to untie the ribbon that was holding the top together. However, she stopped herself. Her parents would probably want to see this. Grabbing the stocking in one hand and her teddy in the other, Katie ran from her room. "Mommy! Daddy!" Her parents were obviously already up, judging by their open door and curtains. She took the stairs two at a time as she sped towards the sound of Christmas music.

"Sounds like a certain little lass is awake." Killian winked at Emma across the table right before Katie skidded to a stop on the kitchen tiles. Killian put out his arms to prevent her from slamming into the table, or falling to the floor.

"Merry Christmas, Daddy!" Katie practically screamed in his ear as she jumped into her father's arms. He didn't care though. He would gladly go deaf if it meant his baby girl would stay this happy forever.

"Merry Christmas, princess." Killian chuckled as he gave his daughter a tight hug.

"Merry Christmas, Mommy!" Katie cried as she wiggled out of her dad's arms, only to sling herself into the mother's.

"Merry Christmas, sweetie." Emma laughed as she took the sweet girl into her embrace. She breathed in the daughter's smell, letting it wash over her. Killian met her eyes over Katie's head, and she knew that he was thinking the same thing. This was it. Moments like this. This is what they'd been waiting for. Been praying for, for so long.

"Look! Look what I got!" Katie flung her stocking onto the table for both Emma and Killian to see. They smiled at her pure childlike enthusiasm. The parents made the necessary sounds of awe and surprise as she pulled out the contents one by one. It was only little things; like hair bobbles, chocolate Santas, and some nail polish. It didn't matter though. Katie felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

"Do you want to go into the living room, love?" Killian questioned with a quirk of his eyebrow once the stocking was empty.

"I think we should." Emma smiled warmly as she poured out another mug of coffee for both for them.

"After you, Katie." Killian swung out his arm in a dramatic gesture, which made Katie giggle. She did her best curtesy before walking into the darkened room. Killian lent over and switched on the Christmas lights, awakening the room with an array of bright colours. The little girl's mouth dropped open at the sight before her. Overflowing from under the tree was piles and piles of carefully wrapped presents. She didn't move or make a sound for several moments. Emma placed the drinks on the coffee table before bending down beside her daughter.

"Come on, Katie, let's see who they're for." The blonde coaxed the young girl to sit down with her in front of the presents. Katie immediately scrambled onto her mommy's lap, not taking the eyes off of the gifts. She was afraid that, if she was to even blink, it would all disappear. The tree. The presents. The house. Her parents. Emma snaked her arms around her daughter and picked out one of the many parcels marked for Katie. "This is for you, sweetie."

"For me?" Katie's voice was small as Emma placed the brightly wrapped package in her lap. It was heavy and was clearly a book of some sort.

"Go on, little lass, open it." Killian prodded from his space on the couch. He and Emma knew that this was going to be hard for Katie. They'd both experienced the struggle of accepting that people truly cared about you. However, they needed to give her this feeling as much as Katie needed to experience it. The young girl still seemed hesitant.

"What if Daddy opens one at the same time as you?" Emma whispered into her little girl's ear. She knew that the attention should sometimes be too much, especially after being starved of it for so long. At Katie's nod, she began to rummage for one of her gifts to Killian. "Merry Christmas, babe." She exclaimed as she passed the 'obviously-a-bottle-of-rum' to her husband.

"Thank you, Swan." Killian locked eyes with Katie, who was seeming to relax somewhat onto Emma's chest. "Ready, love?" They both ripped into the wrapping paper together, Katie taking a huge amount of care in the opening of hers. Killian's eyes lit up at the brand of rum that his wife had purchased. It was some of the proper good stuff from the enchanted forest. How the hell did she get her hands on this? He threw a wink which she responded to with a shrug.

"Wow…" Katie's awe-filled voice brought their attention back to her. In her hands she held a storybook. The Storybook. Henry had left it for her on his last visit, instructing Emma to give it to her for Christmas. They weren't quite ready to have the whole 'Daddy's Captain Hook and Mommy's the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming' talk yet, but this would hopefully make it easier when they did. Katie traced her fingers over the golden writing on the front. "Once Upon A Time."

"It's a collection of fairytales. Do you like it, sweetie?" Emma leant over her daughter's shoulder as she began to turn the pages.

"Uh huh." The young girl was engrossed in the book. Eventually, Emma had to tell her to put it to the side for now, so that they could get on with the rest of the gifts. Katie got a lot more gifts of the fairytale nature, along with Disney merchandise and a whole lot of purple (that was her favourite colour, after all). Emma got various bits of clothes and jewellery; including a matching necklace, bracelet and ring set of a swan and a hook making a heart. Killian had blushed as Emma had brought his face down to give him an appreciative kiss after opening that one. Killian's gifts were mostly of the rum and book variety, which he was most pleased about.

"Well its looks like that's all of them." Emma grinned as Katie's eyes searched through the mountain of paper they were now surrounded by.

"Not quite, Swan." Killian chuckled as he waded through the mess towards his two girls. "Follow me, little love." Katie took his offered hand and skipped her way through the sea of shiny wrapping. Once they were in the dining room, Killian instructed Katie to close her eyes. Emma's hand replaced his, so that their little girl knew that one of them was still there with her. She could feel her pulse beginning to speed up. Not a moment too soon, Killian wheeled (yes it had wheels!) in the finished pink and purple princess castle.

"Katie, you can open your eyes now." Emma smiled down at their daughter, waiting for the much anticipated reaction. The young girl's eyes flew open and for a few moments it seemed like time stood still.

"A castle befitting a princess, wouldn't you say?" Killian pushed the castle slightly closer to Katie. And that was all it took. The girl raced forward and fell to her knees in front of the structure. She figured out how to lower the drawbridge and the latch that opened up the entire building. "I'd say it was all worth it, love." Killian whispered as he wrapped an arm around Emma's waist.

"Most definitely, Captain." Emma laid a kiss on his cheek before letting him go to join Katie on her exploration of her castle. Emma looked at the clock. If they didn't go get ready soon, then they'd be late to her parents for Christmas Dinner. But in that moment, that didn't matter. Seeing her one true love and their daughter playing together had been a dream of hers for so long. That was the real magic of Christmas. And if it had taken another kind of magic to finally assemble the damn castle… well, neither Killian nor Katie needed to know that.


	9. Chapter 9

"Remember you can call us if you need anything, right? I've put mine and Daddy's numbers in, as well as my parents just in case you can't get hold of one of us." Emma was starting to think that this wasn't such a good idea after all. Was it too late to take Killian up on his offer to home-school Katie? No, their little girl deserved a normal childhood. And that included going to school so that she could learn and make friends. This didn't mean that Emma wasn't allowed to worry, though. That was a mother's job, after all. "My mom teaches a few grades above you, but she'll be around if you need her. Ok?" Katie gave a small nod in response. However her eyes told a different story, and Emma was ready to pick her up to take her back home.

"She'll be fine, Swan. Better than fine, even. Won't you princess?" Killian rested his hand on his wife's shoulder, causing her to look up at him from her crouched position. Emma nearly argued that it was in fact her who had had to convince him to enrol Katie in the first place. However she bit her tongue and turned back to her daughter.

"We'll be here at 3 o'clock to take you home. That's not long at all." Emma pulled Katie into a tight hug. She could feel the girl trembling slightly, so she rubbed a calming hand up and down her back. Katie let out a soft sigh as she felt herself relax slightly. The little girl wasn't sure which of them was more nervous. She'd never liked school; being the new kid wasn't fun, and she never stuck around long enough to make any real friends. Also in her experience people preferred friends who would talk to them. Her Daddy called her _'his brave little lass'_ and, although she didn't believe that she was, Katie really wanted to be brave.

"Have a good day, princess." Killian put his arms around Katie as she buried her face in his stomach. He wasn't enjoying this any more than his girls were, but he knew that they needed him to be positive. The pirate cupped his daughter's face in his hand. "Go show them what you're made of." With a good natured wink, he turned Katie towards the other side of the school gates.

"Did we do the right thing?" Emma worried her bottom lip between her teeth. Their little girl had never had a time when neither of them were there since she moved in. Now they were sending her off for over 7 hours without either of them.

"Aye, love. That we did." Killian pulled his true love against his side. They watched as Katie slowly walked towards the main building, turning back every few paces to look at them. Emma felt her husband's arm become tighter around her waist. He knew she was fighting the same urge she was. To go and get their little girl. Instead they just stood there, and waited for their daughter to finally enter the school. "Come on, Swan, we best get a move on."

#

Mrs Bradey was waiting outside the station when they arrived. The couple felt awful about her having waited out in the cold, but the woman simply dismissed their apologies. They hurried inside the slightly warmer building, and settled in Emma's office.

"Could I get you anything to drink, milady? Our selection only consists of coffee or water I'm afraid." Killian called the main bullpen where he was busying himself with making a coffee for himself and Emma.

"Coffee would be lovely, thank you." Mrs Bradey replied as she removed her winter coat and scarf. She then lowered her voice to address Emma. "If I haven't said it enough before, you've definitely got yourself a good one there."

"I know." Emma sighed as her gaze fell on her husband. Killian always argued that he was the lucky one, but she knew that that was because he didn't see himself through her eyes. "Thank you for meeting us here, I know you've said that you preferred home visits, but it's difficult to get us both away from the station at the same time. Normally my Dad covers for us, but I've asked him to do it quite a lot lately, and he has got a farm to manage as well as my little brother to take care of…" Emma trailed off as she saw the slightly amused expression on the woman's face. She was rambling. "Anyway, thanks."

"It's quite alright, dear. I understand what it's like to be juggling lots of things at once." She laid her hand on Emma's, and the blonde told herself to relax. This woman already liked them. And she seemed to like how they were with Katie, who seemed to be much happier with them. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves as Killian entered with the drinks. "I'm just sorry that it's taken this long to get this all sorted. The problem is, as wonderful as the holidays are, people aren't keen to work during the season so things take much longer. Some of us don't have the option to take a vacation, however. As I'm sure you understand, being in your profession. Crime doesn't take a Christmas break, does it?"

"Unfortunately not." Killian wheeled a chair around to sit on the edge of the desk, between the two women. "However we are lucky, with this being a small town not a lot of crime occurs here."

"That's the beauty with small towns. They're so quaint and peaceful." Mrs Bradey smiled warmly as she laid a folder on the desk. Emma nearly spat out her coffee at the woman's words. Quaint? Peaceful? If only the woman knew the truth about the sort of criminals they'd had to deal with. Years of fighting the evil villain of the month had somehow ruined her perception of quiet small town life. She hoped that they'd seen the last of their battles. "The ideal place to raise a child. Now, if you could both look over these forms for me."

"Of course." Killian shuffled around so that he and Emma could read the pages together. There was quite a lot of information there. There were paragraphs about what adoption meant, what their rights were and the rights of their child, what they were agreeing to be for Katie. There were also certain fields that were waiting to be filled.

"Can we fill these in now?" Emma couldn't have kept her eagerness out of her voice if she'd tried. The blonde was already reaching for a pen from the pot on her desk.

"Go ahead, dear." Mrs Bradey chuckled lightly as the woman began to scribble down her and her husband's details. She loved how enthusiastic the couple were. It was clear that they loved Katie, and that she felt the same way about them. It was a pleasure to have watched them become a family. The older woman was content to simply sit and sip her coffee while they completed the necessary paperwork.

"Killian…" Emma whispered as they turned onto the final page, which required only signatures from the both of them. Her hand started to shake as she went to sign her name. This was it. After this they would have a daughter. Katie was already their daughter, of course, but this would make it official in the eyes of the law.

"I know, Emma, I know." Killian's voice was think with emotion as he wrapped his arm around his wife. He grasped her free hand in his and gave it a firm squeeze. Emma breathed in deep and quickly signed along the dotted line. She passed the pen to Killian to do the same. A tear rolled down her cheek as her husband's delicate scroll filled the last remaining section. The pirate's heart was racing as he laid the writing instrument onto the desk. Emma made sure that all of the pages were in the right order, that every 't' was crossed and every 'i' dotted. When she was certain that no mistakes had been made, the saviour handed the forms back to the social worker.

"Right then, that looks to all be in order." Mrs Bradey flipped through the pages, before slipping the forms away in her bag. "All that's left now is to send these to the courts for a final check, but that's merely a formality. I have complete faith that they will approve of this adoption." She stood up from her chair and the couple rose with her. "I'm thrilled to be the first to say it. Congratulations, you have a daughter."

"Thank you, for everything." Emma embraced the woman before her. The woman who had introduced them to Katie. The woman who had given them their daughter.

"You are most welcome, dear." Mrs Bradey hugged the blonde back tightly.

"Aye, milady, we owe you a debt that I'm sure that we could never repay. If there's ever anything that we could do for you, don't hesitate to contact us." Killian spoke as he was pulled willingly into Mrs Bradey's arms. The woman had given them a child when they had thought that it was no longer possible. He meant what he had said; they would forever be in her debt.

"I'll make sure to." Mrs Bradey stepped back to shrug on her winter coat, ready to brace the cold once more. "And the same goes for you. Even though I am not Katie's social worker anymore, I'll still be more than happy to help your family. Please stay in touch."

"We will, thank you." Emma had grown fond of this woman over the process, and she liked the idea of having her around if things got tough.

"Allow me to escort you to your vehicle, milady." Killian offered out his arm for Mrs Bradey to loop her's through. Emma could practically feel the woman's blush as the pair walked away.

She took a moment to herself in the empty office. She let the enormity of what they had done wash over her. As Mrs Bradey had said, she was no longer a permanent safety net. It was just her and Killian now. To give Katie the childhood, and the life, that she deserves. It was more than slightly overwhelming.

"Swan…" Killian cut through her thoughts as he came back into view. They both stood still and stared at each other, as the rest of the world faded away. Then he strode towards her and pulled his wife against him in an earth-shattering kiss. Their tears slipped onto each other's cheeks as Emma grabbed the back of his neck to deepen it. Killian's arms went around her waist and suddenly she was off of the ground, being spun round in circles by her husband. They were both blissfully happy; stuck in a bubble that it felt like no-one could burst.

#

"Now class, we've got a new student joining us today." The teacher's cheery words from the front of the class made Katie shrink further into her seat. She could already feel almost all of her classmates' eyes burning into the back of her head. She hated sitting at the front. But it was the only seat that didn't already have a child's name on it. "I'd like us all to give a warm welcome to Katie." The woman's kind smile as she gestured towards her didn't make Katie feel any better. This is what she'd been worried about the most. She didn't want any attention. She just wanted to fade into the background.

"Hello Katie." Was droned in that bored tone that kids have when they're made to say something together. A few moments passed in silence as the class, and the teacher, waited for her to respond. But Katie merely kept her eyes trained steadily on the numerous dents in her desk.

"Well… yes, let's get on with this semester shall we? Has anyone got any stories from the holidays to start us off with?" The young teacher recovered quickly from the girl's silence, but it was clear that it hadn't been expected. Katie felt safe in the knowledge that, for now at least, they all probably just thought that she was a little shy. She knew that it wouldn't be long before her selective mutism was discovered though.

#

The kids were allowed outside for morning break, despite the bitterly cold weather. Katie found a bench that was out of the way of other children and sat herself down on it. She had hoped that Snow would be among the adults supervising them, but her grandma was nowhere in sight. Checking that no-one was looking, she slipped her hand into her coat pocket and retrieved the phone. Katie knew that she probably wasn't supposed to have it, but her parents were the police so she thought that it would be ok. Flipping it open, the screen showed a new message.

 **Hope you're having a good day, sweetie.**

 **Remember Daddy and I love you so so much.**

 **Hugs and Kissess**

 **Mommy xox**

It took Katie a while to read the message, but she got the main point of it. Her mommy wanted her to remember that she had a family now. Who loved her and wanted her to be happy. She smiled brightly at the thought.

"Hi, it's Katie, right?" A flurry of blonde locks bounced onto the bench next to her. The young girl looked about the same age, and she was giving Katie a huge smile. The girl didn't mind that she hadn't received any confirmation; it didn't seem liked she'd wanted any in the first place. "You're Emma and Hook's new kid. I'm Alexandra." The girl waited for a sign of recognition from Katie, but again ploughed on regardless when no response was given. "I'm in first grade too. My mommy told me you were starting. I was hoping you'd be in my class, but you're not. But that's ok. Cause at least we get breaks together. And next year all the classes get mixed again and you get to put who you would like to be with so I could put you and you could put me and then we'd be together for like a whole year." The girl's cheeks were going pink from the cold or excitement or a need to breathe, or all of the above. "So yeah we'll do that. And now that we've met you can come round mine and I can go round yours and we can have slumber parties and go to the park and have ice cream." Katie was getting out of breath just listening to her talk about her plans for them. She did like the sound of it though. She'd never had a friend before. Alexandra seemed like as good a person as any. "Wow, is that a phone?" Katie froze as the blonde made to grab the phone out of her hand. Maybe not as good a friend as she had thought. But the dainty hands pulled back before making contact. "Sorry, I'm not meant to snatch. Mommy says ask potitily and if you say no then accept it. Can I-"

"Who are you annoying today, Alexandra?" A group of boys who had previously been occupied playing soccer, made their way over. There was a range of ages between them, most of them looked slightly older.

"Ha ha very funny, Tommy." Alexandra stood up to face the boy who had spoken. She put her hands on her hips in a defiant manner. Katie smiled at the scowl on her face.

"No, seriously, who's the newbie?" One of the older boys asked, keeping a steady gaze on Katie.

"This is Katie. She's Emma and Hook's kid." Alexandra spoke with a sort of pride in her voice. Like she was happy to know something that they didn't.

"The Jones's? But my dad said that they couldn't have kids." The boy kept his eyes fixed on the new girl. It was making Katie really uncomfortable.

"Well she's their kid now. My mommy said that some kids can't be with their parents from birth. But with hope they find them eventu…eventu…event….in the end." Ella had told her daughter to look out for Katie, and Alexandra was going to do that.

"Pfft how does that work?" Another boy had been listening to the conversation, and came to join the group. He stood closer to Katie than the rest of them. Her eyes were frantically searching for an exit. Some escape route from this conversation.

"Well…it…you just…umm…" Alexandra seemed to be, for the first time, lost for words. The girl finally shrugged and turned towards Katie. "How does it work?" All of the eyes were now on the small girl huddled on the edge of the bench. Katie needed to get out of there. Now. "Like, where were you before Emma found you?" The group were listening attentively for her answer. An answer that wasn't going to come.

"Why ain't she talking to you? I thought you were friends?" The boy that Alexandra had called Tommy stepped closer, so that he was next to the blonde girl.

"I…I don't know. I thought we were too." Alexandra tilted her head to regard this new girl. She'd thought that they would be friends. That it would be easy, seeing as their parents knew each other. But Katie hadn't actually said a single word to her.

"Don't you speak?" The boy who joined them later raised his voice slightly. It made Katie jump. She looked down at the phone in her hands. That's it. She just needed to call her mommy. Or her daddy. Someone. And they'd make them all go away. Unfortunately the boy followed her gaze. "Oi, she's got a phone!"

"No way!"

"Soooo not fair!"

"Let's have a look!"

Katie shook her head violently as they all made to huddle around her, even Alexandra.

"We just want to see it. Don't be selfish." The boy closer to her made a grab for it, causing Katie to scream. The group dispersed enough for her to run through a gap. Unfortunately, the playground was full of loud children running around, so the teachers didn't think anything of the exchange.

"Katie! Katie, come back!" Alexandra called as the boys gave chase. She could tell that something was wrong. That Katie wasn't enjoying the game that the boys were playing. "Boys stop! It's not funny!"

Katie could hear the boys' laughter behind her. The sound of their footsteps growing closer. Logically she knew that they weren't going to do anything if they caught up with her. But all logic had gone from her brain. Her survival instinct had kicked in and she needed to go. One of the small gates to the park opposite had been left open, because the older grades were allowed to use the field there at break times. She veered towards it as she felt a tug on the hood of her coat. Refusing to stop, the material was pulled off of her and left in the hands of the boy who'd grabbed her. Katie ran out of the school and kept going. She could here shouts behind her. Teachers and children calling after her, but she kept going. She tried to remember the way to the station, where her parents would be. Or the way home, where she knew that she'd be safe. Her mind was already becoming foggy. Her lungs were complaining from exhaustion. But Katie kept going. Hoping that somehow she'd be able to find her mommy and daddy. Or that they'd be able to find her.

#

Snow White was taking the break from her class to deal with some paperwork in her office. She had recently taken on the role of Deputy Head; which meant that she now had other responsibilities as well as teaching classes. These included dealing with student absences, especially those which were unauthorised. She was sorting through the school's registers from that morning, when a knock sounded on her door.

"Come in." Snow turned to see Alexandra enter her office, her blonde curls in her signature blue ribbons. She smiled warmly at the child, but her expression changed when she saw the look on her face. "Alexandra, is everything alright?"

"No, it's not and I don't know what to do. So I thought I'd come tell you cause you'd know what to do." The young girl, who was usually bubbly as could be, looked close to tears.

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sure we can figure out what to do together." Snow gestured for Alexandra to sit down on the chair opposite her. When she obliged, the former princess pushed her box of tissues towards her. "Now, why don't you start with what happened?"

Alexandra was about to speak when there was another knock on the door. It was opened before Snow even had a chance to respond, and one of her colleagues stepped inside.

"Sorry to interrupt, Mrs Nolan, it's just it is rather urgent." At Snow's nod to continue, the man went up to her desk. He attempted to be discreet, but Alexandra heard every word. "A child has left the school grounds. A young girl which neither me nor Mrs Calfling recognised, from what we saw of her anyway. She was running at quite a speed. I was hoping that you'd be able to help. We need to find her and inform her-"

"It's Katie." Alexandra exclaimed as she jumped up from her chair. She wasn't accustomed to interrupting teachers, but this was important.

"Oh no. Are you sure?" Snow asked the young girl as she too stood from her seat. She didn't want any children to go missing, but hearing that it was her granddaughter was worse than she feared.

"Yes. I was making her my friend and then Tommy and Luke and Mikey and Jordan and…and I think Samuel was there, came over and started asking stuff. Then Daniel joined in, and I think Ollie came over at some point. And they asked about her and Emma and Hook and how she was their kid. And she won't talk. And then they tried to look at her…her ummm…." Alexandra trailed off as she realised that she might get Katie in trouble for having her phone on her during school time. "Something of hers but she didn't want them to so she ran off and they chased her and I tried to get them to stop but they didn't."

"Ok, thank you Alexandra." Snow gave the child a hug before guiding her into the corridor. "Now you need to get back to class. We'll find Katie." Alexandra nodded and started towards her classroom.

"Mrs Nolan?" Her voice was quieter than usual as she turned towards the teacher. "When you find Katie, can you say I'm sorry?"

"I will, Alexandra, but by the sound of it you have nothing to apologise for." Snow smiled as the young girl seemed relieved to hear those words.

"Am I missing something? This Katie girl is who ran away?" Mr Hatten was pacing when she re-entered her office.

"Yes. And she is my granddaughter." Snow didn't fell the usual warmth that went through her when she professed that she had a granddaughter; the situation was too dire for that. "If you'd like to go back to your class, I'll ring my daughter and have her out looking for Katie. I would like to join the search, so could you ask Miss Blakely to take over my class please?" Snow waited for Mr Hatten to exit, after agreeing to her terms, before sitting back at her desk. Sighing she unlocked her desk draw to retrieve her mobile phone.

#

"Well that was quite the celebration, Swan." Killian smirked as he watched his wife finish righting her clothing. Their kiss had quickly become heated and led to them making love on her desk. Because of the semi-public setting, he hadn't been able to take as much time with her as he'd have liked to. Killian planned to rectify that that night.

"Yeh it was." Emma ran her hands through her hair in an attempt to get rid of the obvious 'I-just-had-sex' look. "I am glad that my dad doesn't work here anymore. No need to erase the security footage."

"Aye, Swan. It's nice not to be at risk of your father running me through with a sword." Killian closed the distance between them, laying his hand and hook on her hips. "Although I do know that you are fond of that sense of danger."

"Mmmm, you might be right there." Emma hummed as she wrapped her arms around her pirate's neck. They stayed there, staring into each other's eyes, gently swaying.

"What?" Killian's brow furrowed ever so slightly at the far-off look in his wife's eyes.

"I'm just…happy. It still surprises me sometimes." Emma began to play lightly with the hairs at the nape of his neck.

"Aye, love. Me too." Killian felt relief wash over him as a smile graced his love's lips. He understood her completely. He had to stop and pinch himself every day. When Katie called him Daddy. When he walked in on Emma and their daughter cuddled together. When he had quiet moments with his wife, just like this one. He had to remind himself that this was his life now.

The sound of Emma's phone ringing on her desk broke through their trance. She pressed her lips once more to Killian's, before going to answer it.

"Hey, Mom. What's up?" The blonde's gaze shot up to her husband as her mother hastened to tell her what had happened. Killian's heart clenched at the fear on her face. He tightened his hand into a fist as he listened to one half of the conversation. "Katie's what?...How did that happen….Ok, ok we'll be there as soon as we can." Emma grabbed her coat and threw Killian his leather jacket from where it lay on the floor.

"What is it, Swan? What's going on with Katie?" Killian frantically shoved on his jacket and followed his wife into the car park. He caught her wrist with his hook as she headed towards the patrol car. Spinning her around, Killian forced her to stop and take a breath. "Now, Emma, tell me."

"It's Katie." Emma felt a lump start to form in her throat, but she fought against it. "She's run away from school." Killian stumbled slightly at those words. His distraction was enough to allow Emma to break free and get in the driver's side.

"She's what?" Killian breathed out as he joined his wife in the car. "How the bloody hell did that happen?" He clenched his fist on his thigh in anger. His little girl was missing. And someone was going to answer for it.

"I don't know. Mom just said she ran away from some kids." Emma sped towards the school, thankful that she could ignore traffic lights and stop signs on the way. "Look, you ring Katie's phone. See if she's alright." Killian nodded as he fished his cell phone out of his jeans.

#

The trees begun to thicken. The ground beneath her feet was no longer the soft grass of the field. It was harder and uneven. Katie's feet hurt as she continued to pound them against the earth. Her mind was filled with one thought. RUN. So that what she was doing. She was running. She no longer knew where to. She wasn't even certain of why she was running. She just had to. A musical tune broke through the rushing in her ears. It took Katie a moment to realise that she still clasped her phone tightly in her hand. Her vision was blurry so she couldn't read who it was, but she didn't care. There were only a few people who had her number, and they all could help her. She fumbled to answer it, but couldn't stop her legs from moving. At the moment the line connected, she thought she heard her daddy's voice. Relief shot through her. It was short-lived, however, as her foot caught on an outgrown tree root, causing her to fall to the ground. Katie let out a distressed sound at the impact. She raised her head to see her phone lying a few feet away, broken in two. She couldn't breathe properly. Her lungs felt like they weren't working at all. Her foot was throbbing in pain, and her palms were grazed and bloody. The young girl lay there on the forest floor and finally allowed herself to cry. Big fat tears that took the remainder of her breath away. She tried to remember the breathing exercises her mommy did with her. _In for 3. 1…2…3. Out for 3. 1…2…3._ Katie pretended that her mommy was there with her, holding her hand and helping her through this.

#

"Katie? Are you alright?" Killian spoke quickly as he heard haggard breathing through the phone. Before he could say anything else, there was a pained shout and a thud. Then the line went dead. "KATIE!?" Killian shouted as he grasped the phone tightly to his ear. He pressed re-dial and let out a frustrated grunt as a woman informed him that " _The number who have dialled is currently unavailable. Please try later or send a text._ "

"What is it? Is she ok?" Emma's heart was in her mouth as she took the last corner towards the school's entrance.

"I…I don't know. I think she answered, but then there was some kind of struggle and her phone's stopped working." Killian stared at his wife, hoping that she'd have an explanation better than the one in his head. That their daughter was now injured, and scared, and alone. And they had no way to contact her. Emma kept her gaze hardened on the road ahead, aggressively turning into the school's gates. Her mother was waiting outside the entrance for them.

"What happened Mom? Where is she?" Emma jumped out of the car and rushed towards her mother. Killian followed close behind, forcing himself to be calm.

"I don't know, Emma. She ran into the park and from the looks of it she headed into the woods." Snow wrung her hands out in front of her. She couldn't help feeling partially responsible for her granddaughter's disappearance.

"Mom, this isn't your fault, you know that-" Emma stilled her mother's hands with her own. They needed to find Katie, and any unfounded guilty consciences wouldn't help them to succeed.

"Like hell it isn't!" Killian bellowed causing both women to whip their heads round towards him.

"Killian-" Emma hissed as her mother deflated with shame.

"No, Emma, we sent Katie here cause we thought that she would be safe. That we could trust the school to look after her. It's still the morning of her first day and she isn't here!" Killian stepped backwards to avoid his wife's placating arms.

"Look, I get it. Our daughter is missing and I'm just as scared as you are. But arguing about who is to blame isn't going to help us right now." Emma blinked back tears as she took a hold of her pirate's hand and hook. The anger lessened in his face, allowing for the worry to seep through.

"Right you are, love." Killian knew that they had to focus all of their energy on finding their little girl. "So what's the plan?"

"I got here as fast as I could." Regina's voice rang out from behind the couple. They turned to greet the former queen, but she merely thrust a bottle into Emma's hand. "Snow said you were in need of a location spell."

"Thanks, Regina." Emma's eyes lit up as she felt a surge of hope go through her. "But we haven't got anything of Katie's to-"

"Yes we do." Snow held up the flowery scarf that Killian had gotten for Katie when the weather had gotten colder. "It was found on a bench in the playground. I thought I recognised it as Katie's."

"Aye, love, you did." Killian took the scarf into his hands and held it out to Emma. The saviour didn't hesitate to pour the liquid onto the object. It glistened slightly before rising into the air and floating towards the back of the school. "Ready, Swan?"

"Let's get our daughter back." Emma nodded as the group took off after the magical beacon, set to guide them to the young girl. It was to no-one's surprise when the trees became thicker as they were led deeper into the woods.

#

Katie started to shiver as the adrenalin left her body. She hadn't really registered that she was no longer wearing her coat until now. The realisation just made her cry harder. She didn't know what to do.

"Katie." Her name reached her ears. It was quiet, as if carried over on the wind. She was sure that she had imagined it. "Katie!" This time was slightly louder, although still quite far away. This one was real though. She could hear the lilt of her father's accent. Trying to stand made pain emit from her right ankle, which only made the pounding in her head worse.

"Daddy?" Katie's voice barely reached her own ears, so she was certain that it wouldn't make it to wherever her father was. All she could do was lie there in the dirt and hope that her father found her. What if he didn't though? What if he went the wrong way? She didn't know how big these woods were but she was sure that she couldn't be spotted easily. What if he gave up? Decided she wasn't worth the effort? Her breathing got even worse as these thoughts flooded her mind. They whirled faster and faster until she couldn't even focus on one of them at a time.

"KATIE!" That was definitely her mom's voice and it was louder than the rest. Katie managed to turn her head towards the direction of the sound. A floating object came into her vision. She was seeing things. She was actually going crazy. Katie squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Upon opening them the floating object was still in her vision. And it had gotten closer. It looked like her scarf. But that was impossible. Her scarf was not flying towards her. That didn't make any sense.

"M-Mo-Mommy?" Katie caught sight of her mother's blonde hair blowing through the trees. Emma gasped as she saw the scarf float downwards towards a figure on the ground. It was her daughter.

"KATIE!" Emma screamed as she ran full pelt towards the young girl, only narrowly missing the same root her daughter had tripped over. Killian was hot on her heels, his breath catching at the sight of his little girl. "Oh god, are you ok?" Emma sat beside her and attempted to bring Katie into her arms. The girl let out a pained gasp as her foot dragged along the ground. "Oh, you're not ok. What happened? What hurts? Sweetie, you need to tell me."

Katie couldn't speak through relief at being with her parents once more. Anyhow, the chattering of her teeth would make it hard to say much at all. She laid her head on her mommy's lap and started to cry in earnest.

"She's so cold, Killian." Emma felt tears fall down her cheeks at seeing how vulnerable the young girl looked.

"Oh, princess." Killian breathed as he immediately removed his leather jacket. He wrapped Katie in it in an attempt to calm her shivers. He noticed the way she was carefully eyeing her right foot. "Is it your foot, lass? Is that what hurts?" Katie nodded her head in confirmation. The pirate shot his wife a look. A look that said _"You could fix that."_ Emma had already thought the same thing. It looked to be but a sprain. As the saviour, she had healed much greater wounds than that.

"I…" Emma wasn't sure what to say. They hadn't even discussed magic with Katie. They hadn't properly figured out how and when they were going to have that discussion. Killian nodded towards the scarf with a shrug. He was right, of course. Katie had already seen an item of clothing flying through the air to guide her family to her. She was going to have more than a few questions about that. Looking at the young girl, shivering and crying in her lap, made the decision for her. She would do anything to relieve the pain of her child.

"Go on, Swan." Killian encouraged her softly. Emma's breath caught at the way her husband was regarding her. It was that look that told her that he believed that she could do anything. It was a look of awe, and admiration, and one that he saved only for her.

"It's going to be ok, sweetie." Emma soothed as Katie's cries began to increase in intensity. "Mommy's going to make it better." She lifted her hand over the injured limb and, with one more supportive wink from Killian, the saviour allowed her magic to flow through her. A white light emanated from her palm and covered Katie's foot. After a couple of seconds, the light faded away.

"Feel better, princess?" Killian grinned as Katie's eyes opened widely. The young girl stared at her formally-throbbing foot. She experimented in moving it from side to side, and up and down. There was no pain whatsoever. Katie curled herself up completely in her mother's lap.

"Thank you." She whispered, although she had no idea what she was thanking her mom for. Katie didn't understand it, but right now she was too tired to think too much into what had happened.

"That's ok, sweetie." Emma smiled as she laid a kiss into her daughter's brown waves. She knew that they were going to have to talk about this. That the only reason for them being spared having to explain right now, on the ground, was because her poor baby was exhausted.

"Can we go home, now?" Katie yawned as she clasped her father's jacket around her. She nuzzled her face into the leather, and breathed in the smell of her dad.

"Whatever the princess desires." Killian put his arms around his daughter and pulled her up into his arms. He didn't think he'd ever be able to let her out of his sight again. He allowed the feeling of Katie cuddled against him to calm his racing heart.

They made their way back to the car, and said goodbye to the other two women. Emma promised that Snow could come over at some point to check on Katie. Right now, though, it was better that it was just them three. Killian sat in the back with Katie, who was dozing against his shoulder.

Emma was happy that they'd found their daughter. She was. Only now her mind was reeling with the pressing issue of unloading the bombshell that was the truth behind Storybrooke.


	10. Chapter 10

**So here's the chapter that I have been the most nervous about writing since I started this fic: The Fairy-Tales are real reveal. I have been agonizing over this for weeks, so I hope it's ok!**

 **Just to get some things cleared up. Killian always wears his prosthetic when he's outside of Storybrooke, and when they first got Katie he didn't want to scare her. Now he switches between them pretty freely. I thought that Katie wouldn't question it, seeing as we had a caretaker at my primary school who had a hook for a hand and no-one really commented on it (expect for a few boys who thought it was cool). And seeing as Katie has seen with the hook, hearing the kid's using the nickname of Hook at school may not have surprised her that much (I don't know that's just in my head).**

 **As always thanks for the reviews/favourites/follows, and if you do have any questions let me know cause I should (hopefully) be able to answer them :)**

Emma tapped her fingers nervously on the counter as she waited for a fresh batch of coffee. Her mind was reeling with trying to think of the best way to explain their mess of a life to Katie. One which hopefully wouldn't traumatize the young girl. She'd been through enough already. The blonde was starting to wonder if it was fair of them to bring Katie into this. If the home that they could offer her was worth the magical battles and accidental-realm-crossings. It was too late for that now though. Katie was their daughter. And she wouldn't be able to give her up for anything.

"Alright, love?" Killian came up behind his wife and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. He could feel the tension radiating off of her. His attempt at wrapping his arms around her waist was unsuccessful.

"No, I'm not alright Killian!" Emma snapped as she moved out of his reach. "How in the hell are we going to explain this?" The blonde gestured around them, as if the house was the source of her anxiety.

"I…I don't know, Swan." Killian reached for the book that he had placed on the table moments ago. "But I think this is the best place to start."

"The Storybook." Emma tentatively ran her fingers along the gold lettering. This book was what had led her to believing in the first place. It had been the key to breaking through Henry's false memories. Even the Black Fairy had acknowledged its importance when she had forced Emma to burn the book during her curse. Killian was right. It was as good a place to start as any. "Ok, and then what?"

"I don't love, I was hoping that you may be able to shed some light on that." Killian reached out to take Emma's hand in his own, but she pulled it from his grasp.

"And how am I supposed to do that? I have no idea what I'm doing with any of this." Emma felt her magic start to rush under her skin, and she tried to force herself to calm down.

"Emma, love, we've been over this. I thought that you'd accepted what we all know to be true; that you're a wonderful mother and the very best for Katie." Killian caught his wife's gaze and tried to make her see how much he believed in her. "If you're having doubts, perhaps looking over the literature again will-"

"Oh my god, the books aren't going to help with this!" Emma saw her husband flinch at her raised voice, but she was too riled up to stop herself. "They're not like here's information about raising a child who isn't biologically yours, how to make them feel safe in your home, oh yeh and here's how to tell them that fairytales are real and your whole family is from the fricking Enchanted Forest!"

"My apologies, Swan, I just thought that maybe they'd help with broaching difficult topics." Killian hung his head and nervously scratched behind his ear. Emma immediately felt like one of the worst people alive. Once again she had misdirected her emotions into anger at him, when he was only trying to help.

 _Emma didn't want to admit it, but she was scared. Katie was moving in with them in just over a week and they were nowhere near ready. She'd thought that she knew the foster system back to front, seeing as how she spent her entire childhood trapped in it. However, it was becoming startlingly obvious that she only knew about being a child in it. Her experience of being shoved from pillar to post, never having a place to call home, was a far cry away from what she wanted for Katie. She wanted to be able to give that girl everything, and hopefully adopt her one day. This she knew next to nothing about._

 _Killian had developed a way, sort of like a sixth sense, for knowing when Emma was troubled. She was an open book after all. Over the past few weeks, his wife had become more and more agitated. He knew that it was about Katie's impending arrival. But being Emma, she refused to ask for any help about it. She refused to even acknowledge her negative feelings. It was frustrating to say the least._

 _The pirate arrived home from the station and found Emma sitting on their bed deep in thought. It was clear by the look on her face that she was at war with herself. Luckily, Killian had devised a plan. He was going to put all of his concerns over Katie on the table, so hopefully Emma would feel that she wasn't alone in all of this._

 _"_ _Hello love." Killian smiled as she jumped at the sound of his voice. As always, his Swan quickly masked her worried features with a less-than-convincing smile._

 _"_ _Hey babe." Emma pressed her lips against her husband's as he sat down across from her. "How was your day?"_

 _"_ _Alright. I and your father spent most of it dealing with a filing issue." Killian took his wife's hand in his own and rubbed his thumb over her wedding ring. "How about yours?" He felt Emma stiffen slightly before she gave herself a little shake._

 _"_ _Fine. Pretty uneventful really." Emma went to get up from the bed, but her husband's hand tightened around her own. Her brow furrowed as settled back down. "You ok?"_

 _"_ _I was wondering if I could talk to you, Swan." Killian took a deep breath. Emma nodded her head at him to continue. "I've already told you that I'm worried about being a good father to Katie. That I'm not sure if I can be the man that she needs me to be." He sees Emma go to argue against his points, so he puts his hand up to stop her. "And you have no idea how much it has helped to know that you believe in me. In my abilities to be a good father."_

 _"_ _It's true, Killian." Emma ran her free hand over her husband's jaw._

 _"_ _Aye, love. I'm not saying this today to ask for your reassurance once again, although I am sure that I will be in need of it at some point in the not-so-distant future." Killian saw Emma blink at him in confusion, but he kept going. "I just wanted to thank you for allowing me to share my fears with you. I know that if I'd of kept them to myself all of this time, that they would surely be eating me from the inside right now." He thought it best to try to subtly approach the subject; give Emma the gentle push she needed to open up to him._

 _"_ _You're welcome." Emma leant in to press a kiss to her husband's lips. She knew that Killian was hinting for her to talk now, and she hoped that a good kiss would make him drop it._

 _"_ _Is there anything you would like to share, love?" Killian pulled back and fixed Emma with a pointed stare. He knew what she was doing and, as irresistible as he found her, he was determined to get her to talk to him._

 _"_ _Nope. Not that I can think of." Emma whispered as her mouth made its way to his ear. She heard him moan as she bit down on his earlobe, and thought that would be the end of it._

 _"_ _Emma." Killian growled in frustration as he stood up from the bed, putting some much needed distance between them. "Would you stop being so stubborn and just talk to me?"_

 _"_ _About what?" Emma's attempt at feigning ignorance only angered Killian further._

 _"_ _Bloody hell, Emma! All I want is to know what's troubling you so that I can help you. Why is that so bloody difficult?" Killian a hand down his face as he attempted to keep his anger in check. This was not how this discussion was supposed to go._

 _"_ _Because there's nothing to say." Emma huffed as she collapsed onto her back on the bed._

 _"_ _And you're sticking with that, are you?" Killian raised his voice as he saw Emma squeeze her eyes shut. God, his wife was the most frustrating woman he had ever met. "Fine, you know what…just…"_

 _Emma only opened her eyes when she heard the front door slam. She'd really done it this time. She cried silently as it hit her that he walked away from her; something that he very rarely did due to her past abandonment issues. It had only happened a handful of times, when he was so mad at her that he couldn't stand to be in the same room as her. Every time that it happened she felt like that was it. She'd finally pushed him too far and he was leaving her. Every time she curled in on herself and cried about her lost love. And every time, he came back to her._

 _This time was no exception._

 _Killian walked back in not even an hour later. He placed a few plastic bags next to her on the bed before going in search of his rum. Emma waited of him to go before she emptied the contents of each bag. They were all full of books. Some were as small as pamphlets, others were huge volumes. There was even a folder filled with print-outs from online articles. And they all had something to do with adoption and the foster system. Emma nearly began to cry again, but this time it was because of how thoughtful her pirate was._

 _"_ _I thought that just because you won't talk to me, doesn't mean that you shouldn't have your worries and doubts answered." Killian leaned against the door frame with a tumbler of rum in his hand. Emma wasted no time in making her way over to her husband and throwing herself in his arms. The rum sloshed over her top, but she barely even noticed._

 _"_ _I love you." Emma breathed out as she buried her face into his neck._

 _"_ _I know you do." Killian pressed a kiss into his true love's hair before taking her hand in his and going to sit on the bed. "I love you too, my stubborn lass."_

 _They spent that evening, along with the few that followed, pouring over the books that Killian had checked out from the library. Eventually, Emma agreed to confide her worries in Killian one night as they lay in their darkened room. He'd listened and made absolutely no judgements, as always._

"No, I'm sorry." Emma huffed as she allowed her husband to pull her into his arms. She blinked back tears as her anxieties still raged within her. "I just… I don't know if I can do this."

"I know you can." Killian pressed his lips to his wife's forehead, before pulling back to cup her cheek. He could see the doubt in her eyes and he wished to erase it.

"What if I can't? I'm not ready for this." Emma looked down in defeat.

"Alright, come here." Killian led her back towards the table and looked pointedly at the seat behind her. "Sit down." Emma sighed, but did as requested, and Killian sat next to her. "There may have been another reason to me borrowing Henry's book. I wanted to tell you a story."

"A story?" Both parent's looked up at the sound of their daughter's voice. Katie had her teddy clutched in one arm as she made her way into the kitchen.

"Sweetie, I thought we told you to get some sleep." Emma ran her hand through her daughter's hair as the girl stood in front of her.

"I umm… I woke up." Katie shrugged as she averted her eyes from her mother's. The truth was she had been asleep, until the raised voices from downstairs woke her. When it went quiet, she came down to see if everything was alright.

"Katie, I really think-" Emma started to send the young girl back upstairs, but Katie turned towards Killian.

"Were you going to tell Mommy a story?" Katie asked as her eyes fell on the storybook. It was so pretty, with the gold lettering and the border around the edges.

"Aye, that I was princess." Killian answered with a smile. He suddenly had an idea; a way to kill two birds with one stone. "Would you like to hear it?"

"Yes!" Katie's eyes went wide as she clambered onto her mother's lap, keeping her eyes on the book.

"Killian…" Emma's sigh was laced with uncertainty, even as her arms went around her daughter. She could see where he was going with this, and she definitely didn't feel ready.

"Ah shush shush shush, it's story time." Killian held up a finger to her lips, before reaching down to open the heavy book.

"Yeh, mommy, shush." Katie's voice was so strict that it caused Emma to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Her eyes meant Killian's, whose orbs were also filled with amusement.

"Ok." Emma gave him a small smile before nuzzling her face into her daughter's hair.

"Once upon a time, there lived a princess called Snow White who fell in love with a shepherd-" Killian had always had a knack for telling stories; his voice was soothing and enticing at the same time.

"No she didn't." Katie giggled as she shook her head at her father. "She fell in love with a prince."

"Ah but you see, lass, that's just what the world thought. He was born a shepherd and only became a prince in order to save his mother." Killian spoke softly as he revealed the truth about Charming's upbringing. "However, that is a story for another day."

"I like him even better now." Katie smiled as she leant back against her mother's chest. Emma would make sure to remember to tell her father that their daughter preferred his story to the well-known version.

"Well that you should because he's a good man. That's why Snow White fell in love with him. The prince managed to wake the princess from a curse with True Love's kiss. However, the Evil Queen vowed to kill Snow White and separate these two." Killian tapped the picture of his in-laws on their wedding day. "But no matter what she tried, they always found each other. So the Evil Queen went in search of a way to take away their happy ending."

"Did she find it?" Katie worried her bottom lip between her teeth. The story she'd always known was the one which ended with Snow White marrying her Prince Charming. And it said that they lived happily ever after.

"Aye." Killian winced when he saw Katie's eyes start to well up, so he quickly added. "Or she thought that she had. It was called the Dark Curse. Its purpose was to take everyone from their lives in the Enchanted Forest and bring them here, to our world."

"Did it work?" Katie stared at the page he father had flipped to. It was a picture of the Evil Queen standing before a cloud of purple smoke which was coming out of a cauldron. She guessed that was her casting the dark curse.

"The Evil Queen did indeed succeed in casting the curse. However, there was one thing that she didn't bargain for. Snow White was about to have a child, a very special little girl who was foretold to be The Saviour. You see, true love can break any curse, and so could she because that's what she was made of."

"She had magic?" Katie asked with bright eyes and a wide smile. She'd always loved the idea of magic and, although she knew that it wasn't real, she allowed herself to get swept up in her father's story.

"That she did." Killian once again turned the page, this time to the image of David putting baby Emma into the wardrobe.

"Her name's Emma, like you." Katie gasped as she tilted her head to look up at her mother. There was a look on the blonde's face that she couldn't quite work out. Emma nodded her head at her daughter as she tried not to show how nervous she was.

"To escape the Evil Queen's curse, Prince Charming had to put their new-born daughter into a magical wardrobe which would take her to our world." He lifted his eyes to his wife's and gave her a reassuring smile. His love had had such a traumatic start to her life, and then had spent 28 years alone thinking that nobody had ever wanted her. Killian understood why the Charming's did what they did, but it still hurt him to know the pain Emma went through.

"She was all alone?" Katie's voice quivered as she sank further into her mommy's arms. She knew what it felt like to be alone, and she wouldn't want that to happen to anyone; especially not the daughter of a fairy-tale princess.

"They did it to give her her best chance." Emma spoke for the first time since the story began. "And they knew they'd see her again. It was prophesised that she would return on her 28th birthday and break the curse."

"That's a long time." Katie was still not convinced. There had to be another way. Snow White and Prince Charming were heroes, so how could they send their daughter away?

"That it is. But they had hope that she would save all of them." Killian flipped through the book until he found the pages that he was after. The pages that Henry had added dictating their time in Storybrooke. "So on her 28th birthday, Emma Swan, the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming had a knock at her door. It was her son, Henry, coming to bring her to Storybrooke to break the curse and bring back the happy endings."

"Her son is called Henry…" Katie stared at the picture that her father had turned directly in front of her. It was of a woman and a young boy, not much older than her, driving in a car. The car was bright yellow like her mother's. The boy had a storybook on his lap which looked exactly like the one they were reading. And the woman. Well she was the spitting image of her mother. "I don't…I don't get it…"

"Sweetheart, all of the stories in this book are true. They actually happened." Emma's voice shook as she cupped her daughter's cheeks in her hands.

"They're… just stories." Katie shakes her head as she removes herself from her mother's arms.

"I know that this a lot to take in, it was for me when I first came here." Emma's heart clenches as she sees the confusion and fear in her daughter's eyes. This was exactly why she didn't want to do this. "Please, just trust us…"

"You're…. you're crazy." Katie feels tears come to her eyes as she buries her face in her teddy's fur. Of course the only people who want her are out of their minds. She thought she'd found a family here, a real one, but it's a fantasy.

"Sweetheart-" Emma stands and goes to reach out for their little girl.

"Stay away from me." Katie cries as she stumbles out of Emma's reach. Her parents actually think that fairytales are real. There are no fairy-godmothers in this world. No wishes on stars coming true.

Emma lets out a sob as her daughter stares at her with terror. She's ready to tell her that they made it up. That it was all a practical joke which they took too far and that they're sorry.

"Princess, remember earlier today? How do you think we found you?" Killian stays seated as he doesn't want to overwhelm Katie. In hindsight this may have not been the best way to tell her, but then neither of them could think of a better one. He is not about to give up though.

"Umm…" Katie thinks back to that morning, when she was lying in the woods. She remembers seeing her scarf flying towards her. But she'd shrugged it off as impossible. Or maybe the wind had picked it up.

"And remember that you'd hurt your ankle? But then mommy fixed it, didn't she?" Killian prodded as he saw the girl's tears dry up. He held his breath as his daughter's eyes flitted between him and Emma.

"How did you do it?" Katie finally asked when her gaze landed on her mother. She took a step forward, and saw both her parents sag with relief. Emma gave her a watery smile before slowly kneeling in front of her daughter.

"With magic." Emma clasped the small hands within her own. Her heart was beating so fast that it was giving her a headache, but she kept her eyes firmly locked on Katie's. Emma knew that the young girl, like her, had a good ability to tell whether people were lying.

"Can you…" Katie's voice was so small, so unsure, that Killian got up to kneel down beside his wife. He took one of his daughter's hands from Emma's, entwining it with his own. "Can you show me some?"

Emma smiled warmly at the question, but she didn't answer it with words. Instead she held out her free hand and made a multi-coloured star appear above her palm. Katie gasped as she stared down at her mother's creation. That was magic. There was no doubt about it. Magic was real. And her mommy had it.

"Wow. That's really pretty." Katie smile as the star became a diamond and then a heart before her very eyes. It finally settled on being a flower, with the petals alternating from pink to purple. Where the other shapes had looked more like shimmering lights, this one was like a real object.

"Every beautiful girl deserves flowers." Emma took hold of the flower by the stem and tucked it behind Katie's ear. The young girl's giggle was music to her parent's ears. "Isn't that right?"

"Right you are, love." Killian beamed as he brought his daughter's hand up to his lips. "Only the best for our princess."

"You're a princess!" Katie suddenly exclaims as she looks at Emma with wide eyes.

"Yeh… I mean… I guess…" Emma shoots Killian a look when he lets out a small chuckle. He knows that, no matter how far his wife has come, she's never felt like a princess.

"That's so cool!" Katie bounces up and down in excitement. She throws her arms around her mother, who hugs her back tightly. The girl's squeal goes right down Emma's ear, but she doesn't pull away from her daughter. "That means grandma's Snow White! And grandpa's Prince Charming!"

"Aye, lass. And you know what that makes you, don't you?" Killian laughs as Katie's head whips around towards him. She shakes her head at his raised eyebrow. "Well a princess, of course." Katie's mouth drops open and she pulls back to look at her mother's face.

"He's right. Granddaughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. You're royalty." Emma nods her head as Katie's smile gets impossibly wider. She uses her magic to conjure a tiara that she places on top of the girl's brown waves.

"All hail, Princess Katie." Killian gives a dramatic bow that definitely belongs to a prince in the Enchanted Forest. Emma laughs as Katie gives a royal wave to her imaginary subjects.

"Daddy?" Katie stops and turns to him with a furrowed brow. "Are you like a prince or something?"

"No, lass, I'm not." Killian feels Emma slip her hand into his and give it a squeeze. She knows how worried he is that their daughter will no longer look up to him once Katie knows that he was a villain. Emma has complete faith that Katie's love for her dad won't falter. "I'm…umm…I'm Captain Hook."

"Really?" Katie looks her father up and down, her eyes resting on his hook. Her eyes go wide as she makes the connection. She always knew that her daddy had a fake hand, it had never bothered her. On the occasions that she'd seen him with a hook instead of a black glove, she'd just assumed that having the hook made certain tasks easier. Katie reaches out to run her finger over his hook, before she bursts into giggles.

"What's so funny, princess?" Killian questions, although he has a pretty good idea given that Henry made him watch the Disney version of himself a few years ago. He has a good mind to sue Disney for the completely inaccurate, and just plain ridiculous, portrayal of himself.

"You looked really weird." Katie comments before she starts laughing even harder. Emma loses her battle with her own laughter and tears start to stream down her cheeks.

"For your information, Katie, I never looked anything like that." Killian huffed as he watched his two girls collapse in laughter at him. He tried to be mad, but seeing them both so happy made a smile appear on his face.

#

They'd talked to Katie for a long time; going through the storybook with her and answering any questions that she had. She'd managed to convince Killian to put on Peter Pan; Emma just rolled her eyes as her pirate turned to putty at their daughter's pleas. The young girl fell asleep not halfway through the film, so Killian carried her up to her bed.

"I think that went rather well, love." Killian slipped into the covers next to his wife and pulled her into his side.

"Hmm, I guess." Emma's response was much less enthusiastic than his had been. Killian wrapped his arms around her, sighing as she snuggled further into him. "I just…I think we should still take her to see Archie."

"The cricket?" They'd discussed having Katie go to him for help with dealing with the change to her reality. "The lass seemed to accept everything pretty well."

"I know, and I'm pleased. It's just… what happens when all of the initial excitement about princesses and magic wears off. I feel like it hasn't sunk in yet what this really means, and I think we should be prepared for when it does." Emma drew nonsensical patterns into her husband's chest hair, enjoying the feel of it under her fingertips.

"Well, if you think that's best." Killian leant down to press to his wife's forehead and he felt her tense ever so slightly. "No, that's not it. Emma, talk to me."

"You're right. I've been thinking about this for a while, what with her panic attacks and her selective mutism I thought it might be a good idea. After what happened today at school. We can't be there to watch over her every minute of every day, as much as we want to be. She needs to learn there are ways out of stuff which isn't running away." Emma rested her chin on her pirate's chest so that she could see his reaction.

"And you think Archie can help her with that?" Killian ran his hand through her long hair. It wasn't that he was opposed to the idea, but this was their baby girl and he needed to make sure that they did right by her.

"He used to help Henry." Emma rested a hand over his mouth when Killian went to argue. "Yes, I know, that was under the curse. But Archie did help him when he was going through some stuff as a young kid. Also I was able to confide in him when I had things going on, and so did you." She moved her hand to Killian's jaw when he visibly softened at her words. "She's been through a lot, can't hurt to talk about it." His eyes stared into her with wonder and she began to feel slightly self-conscious. "What?"

"I'm impressed, Swan. You've come a long way in accepting help when it's needed." Killian leant down to press a kiss to his wife's lips.

"Well you're the one who's always reminding me how important it is to share my feelings." Emma smiled warmly as she settled back against her husband.

"Aye, love. We'll bring it up with Katie tomorrow, see how she'd feel about having a few sessions." Killian reached to turn off the light on his bedside table, sending the room into darkness.

"I'm glad you're on board." Emma yawned as Killian rested his head on top of hers. "Obviously one, if not both of us, would go with her. I'm not sending her in there alone."

"Glad to hear it, Swan." Killian hummed as he pressed a kiss into her hair, inhaling the scent of cinnamon from her shampoo.


	11. Chapter 11

"I'll get it. I'll get it. I'll get it." Katie chanted as she ran down the stairs at the sound of the doorbell. She tripped on the second to last step and had to grab the banister to prevent herself from plummeting to the floor.

"Katie, slow down please." Emma admonished without even looking up from the kitchen counter. It is true what they say, moms really do have eyes in the back of their heads.

"I'm fine." Katie huffed as she made her way, somewhat slower, to open the door.

"Yeah, but next time you might not be." Emma knew that her daughter was probably not listening to her response.

Katie swung the door open to reveal her grandparents on the other side. Snow and David's faces lit up at the sight of their granddaughter. Before they could greet her, however, the young girl beat them to it.

"It's grandma and grandpa!" Katie shouted in excitement, even though she'd known that they'd be coming round for lunch.

"Is it?" Emma chuckled as she wiped her hands on the tea towel next to her. The blonde turned round to see her daughter dragging her mother inside by her hand.

"I've been so excited to see you. Mommy told me that you're actually Snow White, like the real princess Snow White?" Katie was talking so animatedly that she missed the expression on her grandmother's face. Emma, however, did not. It hit her that this was probably the first time that her parents had heard Katie speak. The look of awe in her father's eyes confirmed her theory.

"Uh…yes. Yes, sweetie, I am." Snow managed to compose herself enough to answer her granddaughter.

"Daddy said that makes me a princess, too." Katie was literally bouncing with energy; she had been since her parents had told her the truth a couple of days ago. Although it warmed Emma's heart to see her daughter so unbelievably happy, she was still waiting for the other shoe to drop. For reality to hit.

"That's correct. You're a princess, just like your mother." David laid their offerings on the kitchen table. Emma shot her father a look, to which the prince simply shrugged in response.

"Dad, you didn't have to bring all of this. Killian's doing the cooking, so you don't have to worry about whether it's edible or not." Emma greeted him with a kiss to the cheek regardless. She really did appreciate the efforts her parents always went to.

"Speaking of, where is that husband of yours?"

"He's in his man cave with Archie." Emma laughed as her dad immediately went in search of some male company. The 'man cave' was a room that Killian had converted into a sort of office for himself. It was filled with nautical maps from numerous realms, and books in languages that Emma didn't understand (or, sometimes, hadn't even heard of).

"Archie's here, already?" Katie's voice was the softest that Emma had heard it in a while. The girl let go of Snow's hand to make her way over to her mother.

"Yeah, sweetie, he got here a few minutes before your grandparents." Emma put her arm around her daughter and laid a kiss into her brown waves. Amidst all of the excitement in learning about fairytales being real, the mention of Archie was the only thing that subdued Katie. Emma knew that it was because therapy scared her. Which was understandable. Therapy scared a lot of people.

"Oh. Ok." Katie lent further into her mom's side and chewed on her bottom lip.

"Hey, Katie, is there anything you want to know about being a princess in the Enchanted Forest?" Snow made sure to install enthusiasm into her voice. She had never seen her granddaughter this open before, and she wasn't going to let that change so quickly.

"Yes!" The wide smile was back on Katie's face as she sat in her usual seat at the table. Snow took up a seat next to her, while Emma bustled about getting dinner ready. "I want to know everything. Please."

"Wow, everything, really?" Snow mocked surprise, to which Katie nodded her head fiercely. "Ok, I can do that. First of all, I'm guessing you've seen the movie Snow White?"

"I've seen all of the movies. Except for the one with the huntsman, because I'm not old enough yet. I'm not soon, am I, Mommy?" Katie looks to her mother hopefully then.

"Nope, sweetie, not for a few years yet." Emma opens a bottle of wine and starts to pour glasses for everyone.

"That's very sensible. You don't want to watch a film earlier than you should, or you won't really enjoy it." Snow squeezed her granddaughter's hand to rid Katie of her small pout. "Anyway, the reason I asked that is because I'm probably slightly different than those portrayals of me. Especially the Disney animation. For one thing, I'm not bad with a bow and arrow."

"Not bad? I've seen you disarm lost boys when they're a moving target." Emma laughed as she passed Snow her glass of wine.

"No way!" Katie looked with wide eyes between the two women. Suddenly her expression changed once more, with her smile lessening. "Wait, lost boys? Why would you want to stop them?" This is why Emma is not as elated as the rest of her family with Katie's acceptance. There's so much more to drudge through. More confused looks, and wet eyes to be dealt with.

Before either women can begin to explain the reality of Pan's control over Neverland, the men come into view. And the sight of Archie sends Katie back into herself a bit, as expected. Emma knows that her daughter won't speak whilst he's present; she's only just felt comfortable enough to talk to her grandparents. Which is why they're having this meal in the first place. Archie suggested that a calming family environment would probably be the best place for Katie to get to know him, at least at first. That had made perfect sense. Snow and David were here for support; to take some of the pressure off of Katie. And Archie.

"Katie you remember Archie, don't you? You met him at your grandparents' house?" Killian prompted as he sat on Katie's other side, at the head of the table. The young girl nodded her head before casting her eyes down shyly. The pirate shot Archie an apologetic look, which the psychiatrist dismissed immediately. He completely understood the delicacy of the situation, and was willing to let Katie open up to him in time.

"It all looks delicious, Emma, thank you." Archie complimented as the last of the dishes was placed on the table.

"You're welcome, Archie, but Killian did all the hard work. I'm just serving it." Emma blushed as she sat down next to her husband.

"You're too modest, love. Without your presentation, the food would be nowhere near as noteworthy." Killian winked and brought his wife's hand to his lips. Emma rolled her eyes as she hid her smile with a sip of wine.

"Really?" Archie wasn't able to keep the obvious surprise from his voice. "I'm sorry…it's just…um…I wouldn't…" It was odd to see the normally well collected man stumbling over his words.

"What my friend is trying to say, is how does a pirate captain with one hand know how to cook?" David chuckled as Killian feigned mock offense at his father-in-law's lack of tact.

"Well, mate, I'll have you know that I am skilled at much more than captaining my vessel." Killian replied jovially, to which David raised a sceptical brow. Killian cleared his throat to prepare himself for telling this story. Emma laid her hand over his hook, offering him her silent support. "I believe my aptitude in this particular area has something to do with genes. You see, from what I can remember, my mother was a mighty fine cook herself…"

And that's how the meal proceeded; with the adults sharing memories from their times in the Enchanted Forest. Katie listened with rapt attention, making little sounds here and there when she got caught up in a story. Emma found herself invested in the tales, also, as some were ones that she had yet to hear.

#

"Really? I have to hear this story again?" Emma moaned as she put her head in her hands.

"I think Katie should know where we all come from. It's her family history, after all." David smiled warmly as his granddaughter's face split into a huge grin. Before anyone knew it, Katie had dismounted from her chair and walked around to her grandfather. The young girl wasted no time in climbing onto the prince's lap and placing a soft kiss to his cheek. David's jaw was slack as he eyed her with a mixture of love, awe and uncertainty; much as Killian had the first time Katie had hugged him. Emma and Snow both subtly wiped at their eyes. Killian gave his mate an encouraging nod, followed by a wink.

"Are you sure you want her to know that her grandparents fell in love during an armed robbery?" Emma jokes to break the heavy atmosphere that has settled over the table from Katie's actions.

"I wasn't armed." Snow defends indignantly, at which all of the guests chuckle.

"Except with a rock." Killian points out. His mother-in-law shoots him a look, and the pirate gulps down some wine.

"I still have the scar." David has relaxed back into the conversation now. Katie looks up at him at the mention of his scar, so David gently takes her hand to lift it to his chin. Her expression turns pensive as she tentatively runs her hand across the slight line. "Don't worry, it healed." Katie considers this for a moment before bringing her fingers to her lips. She places a kiss against them and then presses her fingers against his scar. "See, all better." David whispers as he bops Katie's nose with his thumb. She lets out a contended sigh and snuggles further against him. The prince was still wary of making her uncomfortable, but Katie seemed extremely relaxed in his presence. This gave David the confidence to put his arms around the little girl, holding her softly against him.

"Grandpa gives good hugs, doesn't he?" Emma ran her hand through Katie's brown waves as she nestled her face into her grandad's shoulder. The girl nodded slowly in response, alerting Emma that she'd probably doze off soon. Emma couldn't blame her, she knew how comfortable her father's arms were. Now she would usually go to her husband for comfort, but there were a couple of years where her dad was the man in her life. The only man that she thought she needed.

"Better than me, love?" Killian whispered in her ear while the others continued their conversation.

"Hmm…you know, I'm not sure." Emma smirked as she stroked his thigh under the table. "It feels like an awful long time since me and you hugged."

"Well I must amend that, Swan. Can't have my wife feeling unsatisfied with our displays of physical affection." Killian licked his lips in a way that made Emma shiver. She sort of wished that they weren't surrounded by her family right now, so that he could make good on his words.

"I may be enamoured by my granddaughter, but I'm not deaf." David didn't take his eyes off of Katie, whose eyelids had since fluttered shut.

"Apologies, mate." Killian chuckled as Emma blushed fiercely, removing her hand from his leg. "It's just that I'm quite enamoured with your daughter."

"Accepting it and hearing it are two very different things." David found that it was hard to be annoyed when Katie mumbled against him in her sleep.

"Oh David, leave them alone." Snow sighed from where she'd been watching the couple. The amount of love in both of their eyes when they regarded each other made her heart grow three sizes. That her daughter had found someone who cared for her as much as Killian did, as much as David did her, was all she'd ever hoped for. "I think it's lovely that after years together, you've still managed to keep your love very much alive."

"Our love is very much alive, also." David looked at Snow, as if slightly worried that his wife was going to argue against that.

"Oh don't I know it. I'm not complaining about anything in that department, trust me." Snow smiled at her husband, who turned his smug expression to Killian.

"Oh my god." Emma groaned, mortified that her parents were having a thinly veiled conversation about their sex life. Killian and Archie both chuckled into their wine glasses. "Can you go back to talking about when you guys first met?"

#

"So have you decided on what you're going to do about school?" Snow and Emma were clearing the table, while Killian was showing the others some of his old stargazing recordings in the living room. Apparently Archie had always been fascinated with astrology, spending many a night looking up at the sky.

"Well, we talked to Archie and he suggested easing her into it. So Katie's going to go in for half days to start off with. Like we'll drop her off in the morning and then one of us will leave work to spend the afternoon with her. I called her teacher, and she said that Katie could take home the work that they'd be doing in the afternoon. So she won't miss out on anything." Emma looked over at her daughter, who had recently woken up from impromptu nap, still sitting on David's lap.

"That sounds like it will work." Snow nodded as she too stared at her husband and granddaughter. "You know, Neal only does half days at his age anyway, so David could always take her for a couple of afternoons a week as well. If it's a busy day at the station or whatever."

"Really? Cause that would actually really help." Emma and Killian had been slightly worried at the ramifications of only having one of them on duty during the afternoon. They knew that they'd make it work, seeing as their daughter's wellbeing was priority. "You don't think Dad would mind?"

"Are you kidding? Emma, he'll be ecstatic that he gets to spend more time with his granddaughter." Snow assured Emma as she loaded the used plates into the dishwasher.

"I guess you're right." Emma smiled at the bond that was forming between her dad and Katie. Her little girl was starting to let more people into that big heart of hers. She only hoped that Katie stayed this comfortable with her new life.

#

The next couple of weeks consisted of the Jones family getting used to the new routine. Emma and Killian would both drop off Katie on their way to the station in the morning. They agreed on Monday's and Wednesday's as the days that David would take Katie to the farm with Neal. Tuesday's were Emma's afternoons off with their little girl. Killian often took Katie out on the Jolly Roger on Friday's. Her weekly session with Archie was on a Thursday, so David left Neal with Belle so that he could watch over the station while the three of them went to the appointment.

Katie had even started talking about her new friend Alexandra, and all of these plans that they were making together. Emma didn't think the girls had ever had a two-way conversation using speech, but was glad that it didn't stand in the way of their budding friendship.

The young girl had yet to talk to Archie, but that didn't seem to deter him in the slightest. The cricket had come up with a whiteboard system, in which all three of the Jones's answered his questions by writing the words down. Katie also had a card that had green on one side, and red on the other. If she wanted to answer the question, she kept the green side showing. As soon as Katie felt uncomfortable she showed the red side and the topic would be dropped for the session. The girl had yet to use the red card. When Emma had mentioned that to Archie he had smiled sadly.

"Yes, and I am pleased that she has yet to shy away from anything we have talked about. However, we haven't begun to address her past yet. I suspect that when we do, the red card will make an appearance." Archie had warned as he packed away his notes.

Emma dreaded the day when Katie was forced to look back on her painful memories. When Emma and Killian would hear everything their child had gone through under the care of monsters.

#

"Daddy, I want to play outside but Katie says she doesn't want to." Neal pouted when he found his dad tidying the cabinet under the sink.

"Well, did Katie say what she wants to do?" David turned in his crouch so that he was eye level with his 4 year old son.

"I think she wants to colour more. But I already coloured at school all morning." The little boy elongated the last two words to show just how long his morning has been. David blamed Emma for his son's dramatic tendencies; he was already dreading Neal's teenage years. "It's soooo not fair." That last statement was definitely from Emma, or her melodramatic pirate husband.

"Well, what about if I go out and play with you?" David suggested as he went to heave himself up off the floor; his knees were definitely not as young as they used to be. Neal laid a hand on his father's shoulder, keeping him down at his level.

"But then Katie would be on her own." Neal frowned and shook his head at the idea. The young prince was starting to understand that his sister had been alone for a long time, and had promised Emma that she'd never be alone again. Katie had received the same promise. Neal kept his promises.

"Ok…" David trailed off as he tried to think of a way to please all of his family. They had a rule that Neal didn't go out on the farm on his own; a rule that the young boy was good at sticking to. Just then, the dog skidded into the room and stole Neal's attention.

"Nana!" Neal squealed as he buried his face in the dog's patchy fur. The Charmings had allowed Henry to name their dog. And he had insisted on a name inspired by the dog from his favourite Disney film. And Killian still refuses to use its proper given title.

"What about if you take Nana outside, and Katie and I can sit on the back porch to draw?" David's idea was confirmed as the dog took off towards the back door.

"Then no one's left on their own." Neal considered this before nodding his head. "I think Katie will like that."

Katie did indeed like that idea. A couple of minutes later found the two of them sat on the porch, while Neal and Nana enacted various versions of a prince riding his noble steed.

Time was spent simply enjoying the good moments with his family.

David looked up from his drawing of their old castle, which was coming along quite nicely if he said so himself, when he heard a heavy sigh. His granddaughter was staring longingly out in front of her.

"What's up buttercup?" David coined a phrase he'd heard Emma use to both Katie and Neal, in the hopes of getting her to smile. He wondered if she wished to join in with the fun the pair were having on the grass.

"It's just I wanted you to read me a story." Katie turned her pout towards her granddad. "But I left the storybook at home."

"Oh princess, you don't need the book for me to tell you a story." David would do anything to make this little girl smile again. He knew it was something which she would probably use to her advantage in a few years. He also knew that Killian was exactly the same way.

"I don't?" Katie shifted closer to David, so that she was leaning against his side.

"Of course not." David put his arm around his granddaughter's shoulders and squeezed gently. "Do you have a particular story in mind?" Katie shook her head as she relaxed into the embrace. "Ok, well why don't I tell you one of my favourite stories. It concerns a princess who found her true love with a pirate, and wished for a family. There's magic, hope, love, battles fought and won. And of course, there's a happily ever after." David looked down at the young girl, seeing a small smile spread across her lips as she realised which story was about to be told. "Once upon a time-"

"Storytime!" Neal's yell interrupted David as the young boy came barrelling towards them, with Nana in tow. He jumped onto his dad's lap; David winced slightly at how close the boy's elbow came to injuring his private area.

"How did you know?" David chuckled as he tucked his free arm around his son.

"You had your story telling face on." Neal stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Did I now? Well now that we're all settled, let's begin. Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess with hair as golden as the sun. However, she had no idea of her royal heritage…"

#

"The princess and her pirate were so happy that they could finally start their married lives together. They knew that the only thing that could make them happier was if they were blessed with a child. A child that they could share their love and…" David trailed off as he heard a rustling coming from the side of the house. Although Storybrooke had been peaceful for some years now, the prince was still alert and ready. He hugged the two children tighter against his side, both of whom were two dozy to notice anything. David squinted as a figure came into view, breathing a sigh of relief when he noticed who it was. "Regina."

"Don't you all look adorable? I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Regina stayed at the bottom of the porch steps, looking fondly at the scene before her. It was pretty domestic, even for the Charmings.

"Not at all. What can we do for you?" David carefully stood up to greet his friend, jostling the kids in the process.

"Auntie Regina!" Neal squealed as he launched himself at the new comer. Luckily, this being a regular occurrence, Regina was prepared and caught him with ease.

"Hi trouble." Regina laughed as Neal pressed a big kiss to her cheek. The young boy then started talking animatedly about his day to the woman holding him up. David and Regina were both so engaged with Neal that no one noticed Katie. She was staring at Regina with wide eyes, her body rigid with fear. This was the first time that Katie had seen Regina since learning about fairytales being real. It hadn't clicked until now who Regina was. The Evil Queen. The woman who had tried to kill both of her grandparents, and her mom, on countless occasions. The woman who hurt everyone with the Dark Curse.

"Didn't we, Katie?" Neal turned to his niece for confirmation of his story. The two adults followed his gaze to the scared little girl.

"Katie, are you alright?" Regina put Neal down and took a step towards the girl in question. At this Katie let out a scream and bolted back into the house.

"I'll go check on her." David didn't know what had caused this outburst, and he wanted to find out. Neal went to follow him, but David shook his head. "Neal, you stay here with Auntie Regina, ok? You can show her how good you've gotten at colouring."

"Have you really? I'd love to see that, Neal." Regina replied enthusiastically as she slipped her hand into the boy's smaller one. David shot her a grateful look, before going in search of his granddaughter.

Katie was sat on the sofa, leaning into the corner cushions, with her eyes squeezed shut. She looked so small, so vulnerable, curled up like she was.

"Katie, princess, what's wrong?" David kneeled down in front of her shaking form. He reached out to stroke his granddaughter's knee, but quickly pulled back when she flinched. "It's me, Katie, Grandpa. Can you look at me, please?" His request only seemed to make Katie scrunch up even tighter. David's worry grew as her whole body became tenser, causing her shakes to be more violent. At a loss for what to do, he pulled out his phone and rang his daughter.

" _Hey, Dad, what's up?"_ Emma answered the phone on the first ring, clearly anxious that her dad was calling her while caring for her daughter.

"Emma, its Katie. I think she might be having a panic attack, or something akin to that. I'm not sure." David rushed the words out as he ran a hand through his hair.

 _"What? Is she…?"_ Emma frantically answered, before forcing herself to take a deep breath. This was something they knew happened. And they had dealt with it. Her dad never had had to though. _"Ok, ok. The most important thing is for you to be calm. Katie isn't going to be able calm herself down if you're panicking."_

"Ok. You're right." David took a few slow calming breaths, allowing himself to focus on the feel of the oxygen entering his lungs. He knew that kids, especially frightened kids, focused on the emotions that adults were feeling. He had dealt with enough of Neal's nightmares, which thankfully were a rarity, to know that reassurance was key. It was just hard to do when his granddaughter was like this.

 _"Right, how's her breathing?"_ Emma was pacing her office now, thankful that Killian was out on patrol at the moment. _"Like is her chest heaving? Are her breaths heavy? Or really quick and short?"_ David listened to the list before studying Katie for any of the above. It was hard to tell with her scrunched up like she was, but David wasn't going to touch her again without Katie expressly requesting it.

"Um, her breathing is sort of shallow and her chest's shuddering almost. But her whole body's shaking, so it's hard to tell. She's also curled herself up tightly." David tried to be as furrow and accurate as he possibly could, wanting to help Katie.

 _"Ok, it sounds like she's not having a full-on panic attack yet. Which is good."_ Emma tried to feel relieved at this realisation, but she knew that they weren't out of the woods yet. Panic attacks can quickly grow in intensity. _"Dad, could you put me on speaker phone? It might help if she hears me."_

"Of course." David fumbled with his phone, quickly clicking the speaker button. "Katie, there's someone here who'd like to talk to you."

 _"Katie? It's mommy."_ Emma's tinny voice filled the living room and Katie seemed to relax ever so slightly. _"Grandpa told me that you need some help. Remember to breathe ok sweetie. Breathe for me. Now Katie, could you relax your muscles for me. Grandpa says that you're all scrunched up, and that doesn't help with breathing. I promise you'll feel better if you loosen your hold."_ Katie's eyes remained closed, but she allowed her arms to fall to her sides. Her hands firmly gripped onto the couch.

"That's it, Katie. Well done." David smiled slightly as he was able to take a better assessment of his granddaughter. Her body had stop shaking as much, so it was clearer now that her chest was stuttering. "She's dropped her arms and it seems to have helped. Her eyes are still squeezed shut."

 _"You're doing really well, baby. Remember to breathe, ok? Now could you open your eyes for me and Grandpa? I know he'd love to see those gorgeous blue eyes of yours."_ Emma knew that eye contact would help to ground Katie in the room with David.

"Your mommy's right, princess." David prompted gently when Katie still hesitated. Suddenly her eyelids flickered open and Katie's blue eyes met his. "There you go, Katie. There's those beautiful eyes."

 _"Well done, sweetie. Now keep eye contact with Grandpa and I want you to breathe with him, ok, baby?"_ Emma heard Killian come back into the station then and she held her finger to her lips. He cocked a brow at her, but stayed silent.

"That's it, Katie. Breathe deep for me." David smiled warmly as the light started to return to Katie's eyes. He tried not to gasp when her small hand reached out and clasped his. Keeping their eyes and hands connected, David moved to sit next to her on the couch. Katie wasted no time in climbing into his lap. "I think she's going to be ok, Emma. Thanks."

 _"Thank you too, Dad. We'll come check on her anyway."_ Emma saw Killian's jaw jump as he realised that she was talking to her dad about their daughter. She gave him a slight smile. _"We love you, Katie. We'll be there soon."_ Then the line cut off and Emma slipped her jacket on her shoulders.

"Your mommy and daddy are going to come and see you." David rubbed soothing circles into Katie's back.

"I-I'm s-sorry." Katie choked out as she looked up at her granddad. She knew that he'd been worried about her, was worried about her. Katie didn't mean to upset anyone. She didn't think anyone would follow her.

"Ssh, none of that." David stroked his hand through the girl's brown waves. It worried him that she was still shaking. "What happened, princess?"

"The Evil Qu-Queen. I d-don't w-want her to hurt m-me!" Katie cried and tightened her hold on her granddad's shirt.

"Regina? Oh, Katie, she won't hurt you. I promise." David moved Katie's position on his lap so that they were face to face. He laid his hands over hers, which were wound into the fabric of his shirt.

"I d-don't want her to hurt you or g-grandma. Or m-mommy." Katie sniffled as fat tears rolled down her cheeks. David's heart broke then at how scared this girl was that she'd loose people again. It was a fear he knew still played strongly in Emma's mind, also.

"Regina won't hurt anyone ever again. She's changed, just like your daddy did." David heard the back door open and knew that they'd been joined by the others. Regina quickly worked out what had upset Katie, and bowed her head in shame.

"It's true." Neal ran around to stand next to David and Katie. "She apolginied for everything and now she's really really nice." David chuckled slightly at his son's mispronunciation; this was not the time to correct him. Katie worried her bottom lip, as she was still sceptical that the Evil Queen was now good.

The front door swung open and Emma ran into the entryway, Killian right behind her.

"Katie?" Emma swept her daughter up into her arms, breathing a sigh of relief as Katie nuzzled into her neck. She had remained calm throughout the phone call, instructing her dad to do the same. She had reassured her frantic husband that Katie would be fine, like she always was. However, Emma hadn't realised just how worried she was until she'd seen Katie. "Are you ok, sweetie?" Katie seemed to consider her answer before giving the tiniest nod; Emma felt it rather than saw it.

"Killy!" Neal squealed happily at Killian's presence in his house; David only just realised the volume of people that his son greeted with such levels of excitement.

"Ahoy, lad." Killian chuckled as he bent down and ruffled the young boy's hair. Killian kept an eye on his two girls, but Katie seemed to be content for now.

"Aaarrrrr." Neal closed one eye and made a pretend hook out of his hand. Killian good naturedly did the same, brandishing his actual hook next to the boy's curled finger. It was a testament to how focused David was on his granddaughter, that he didn't do his usual moan at his son's 'indoctrination into piracy'.

"What happened?" Emma mouthed silently over her daughter's head. David looked between Katie and Regina, words suddenly failing him. Emma turned to Regina, who was standing in the corner of room with a crest-fallen expression. It all suddenly clicked into place, and Emma felt a pang of sympathy for her friend.

"I think it's time that I left." Regina hurried towards the door, which Killian had left open behind him.

"Regina, wait-" Emma wanted to stop her, wanted to deal with this. Regina was a part of their family and Katie was going to be around her. The sooner her little girl no longer feared the former-evil queen, the better. Regina merely shook her head and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke. Emma huffed; exiting via an ominous magic cloud wasn't going to help at all.

#

"I guess we should have seen that coming." David handed Killian a cup of coffee before settling down on the opposite deck chair. Emma was out in the field showing Katie and Neal how to make daisy chains.

"I have to say that Emma sort of did." Killian took a sip of the hot coffee, letting the liquid burn down his throat. At David's raised eyebrow he elaborated. "She keeps saying that we should be prepared for Katie's initial excitement to fade. That it hasn't properly sunk in just what this all actually means. At first, I thought it was just Emma being Emma. You know her, always waiting for the other shoe to drop. For the rug to be pulled out from under her." Killian rubbed at his temple as he watching the happy figures in the distance. David slumped at the vocalisation of his daughter's tendency to expect the worst. He knew that was down to the way that she'd grown up; and that was partially down to him.

"But now?" David had a drink of his own coffee while regarding his mate.

"Now, I think that Emma's on to something. There's been little signs here and there, things about the storybook or our lives that confuse her cause they don't match up with the stories that she knows. And then with how Katie reacted to seeing Regina today, I… It's definitely something we need to be aware of. Be more vigilant for." Killian ran a hand roughly through his hair, as he thought of certain things he'd shrugged off which he probably shouldn't have.

"Emma really gets her, doesn't she?" David smiled slightly as the trio looked to be holding hands and prancing around in a circle.

"Aye. My two lasses are much alike. They have a lot in common." It still confuses Killian whether he should be happy about that fact or not. On the one hand, the bond that Emma and Katie share is a wonderful solace for both of them. On the other hand (….or hook…), their similarities mostly stem from going through awful events during their early years of life. "I just wish I could change what they've both been through to get them here."

"I know the feeling." David hated what Emma had gone through; he often wondered if he would have still put her through the wardrobe knowing how hard her life would be. He didn't even want to think about the despicable things that had been done to Katie. "We're all together now though. And we can move forward, as a family. There's more to life than waiting for the next fight, for the next bad thing to happen. You've got to-"

"Let me guess, look for the moments?" Killian rolled his eyes at the prince's well-used hope speeches.

"Exactly." David chuckled and Killian couldn't help but join in on the laughter. It is sound advice after all, no matter how many times he'd heard it. "So what do you say, instead of slouching up here like a pair of grumpy old men, we go live a good moment with our family?"

"Aye, mate. I think I can do that." Killian gulped down the rest of his coffee, and then both men made their way into the field. His girls' already bright faces lit up further when he approached them.

Katie ran into his arms, giggling with glee as he spun her around. Once Killian had stilled and balanced his daughter on his hip, Emma linked her arm through his free one. They both had daisy chain bands resting on their heads, reminding Killian of the flower crown that Emma had worn for the ball in Camelot. He smiled at the memory of dancing with his Swan, something he hadn't done in while. Killian vowed to rectify that post haste. Because his father-in-law was right, they needed to hang onto the good moments. And this pirate was seldom happier than when he had his two beautiful girls in his arms.


	12. Chapter 12

Emma was clearing out Katie's school bag when her eyes landed on a sparkly piece of card. She assumed that maybe it was a piece of art that her daughter had done that morning. She smiled when she removed the crown shaped card, covered in pink glitter and gold writing.

 _You are invited to attend Princess Alexandra's Birthday Party_

 _This Saturday at Midday_

 _There will be sweets, games and lots of fun._

 _Including a slumber party to round off the evening with._

 _Please RSVP to let the princess know if you will be able to attend._

Emma could see that a lot of effort had been put into the making of the invitation. She wondered if Alexandra had done the same for everyone, or if Katie had received a special one; the girls had been growing close. That was why it was confusing that Katie hadn't told Emma about this right away. She assumed she'd just forgotten.

"What's that?" Katie asked as she ran up to her mother in the kitchen.

"I was about to ask you about it, actually." Emma handed the invitation to her daughter. The minute Katie's eyes fell on the card, she froze. Emma sat down at the kitchen table so that she was eye level with the young girl. "Aren't you happy about this? I thought you and Alexandra are friends."

"We are." Katie nodded her head as she fiddled with the ends of her mom's hair. "And she really wants me to go. It's just…"

"Just what, sweetie?" Emma placed her arms loosely around her daughter's waist.

"I've never been to a proper birthday party before." Katie leant her head against Emma's shoulder. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"Oh sweetie, you're not supposed to do anything." Emma smiled as she rested her cheek on her daughter's head. "You just go have fun. All you have to do is be yourself." Katie stiffened at that last comment. Emma patiently waited for an explanation, running her hand up and down the girl's arms.

"I can't be myself." Katie's broken whisper made Emma's heart clench. She wanted to immediately refute this statement, but she knew that there was more to come. "The other girls don't like me. They th-think I'm-m w-weird."

"Baby." Emma lifted Katie's head up to cradle her cheeks in her hands. "I'm sure that isn't true."

"Y-yes it is-s." Tears were slowly slipping from Katie's eyes onto her mother's thumbs. "It-t's cause I'm-m d-d-diff-ferent."

"You listen to me, Katie, there is nothing wrong with being different. These girls just haven't gotten to know you properly yet. And if they decide that they don't want to, then it's their loss." Emma pulled her daughter onto her lap so that she could hold her close. Katie slung her arms around her mother's neck. "You are the sweetest, kindest, funniest girl in the world who is so precious to so many people. Anyone with half a brain can see that. You realise that, don't you?"

"I guess." Katie shrugged non-committedly against her mom's shoulder. "I love you."

"Love you too." Emma smiled warmly as Katie pressed a kiss onto her cheek. The blonde returned the favour, making it last long enough to receive a giggle from her daughter. "Now do you really not want to go to Alex's party? Cause I won't make you, but I think you'll have fun."

"I just…" Katie was quickly subdued by the re-mentioning of the invitation. "What if I start to panic? I can't talk to anyone, and they'll all see, and the girls will h-hate m-me…" The young girl was getting so worked up over the idea of panicking, that she was close to it now.

"Ssshh. It's ok." Emma rocked her daughter slightly as she soothed circles into her back. "What about if I ring Ashley, see if me or Daddy can be there too? I mean parents always welcome help at kid's parties." Katie nodded her approval at that suggestion, and immediately calmed down.

Emma set Katie off with the work that she'd been set for that afternoon, then rang up Ashley. It just so happened that Emma and Killian were on the guest list anyways, seeing as it was an all-in-one family and friends' celebration. Snow had already confirmed that they'd all be attending, because of course her mother wouldn't feel the need to check her availability for a social event. Emma was known for coming up with excuses for why she wasn't free for parties, gatherings and the like, so Snow had long ceased asking. This time, though, Emma was happy to go if only for her daughter's sake.

#

Saturday morning found both Emma and Killian absolutely exhausted. The station had received a call Friday afternoon to report a break-in at The Rabbit Hole. The place was trashed and the alcohol supply was almost completely gone. It was too big a job for Emma to handle on her own, so she had had to ring Killian for back-up. Which meant that Katie had spent her time at the station, instead of bonding with her dad on the Jolly Roger. Killian sent his girls home that evening, telling them to get some rest. Emma waited up for him and ended up falling asleep on the couch to a true crime documentary. Her husband had returned at 3 o'clock in the morning having taken an impromptu nap at his desk. The couple had trudged to their bed and collapsed into the sheets. Safe to say their alarm got an earful when it went off not 5 hours later.

"Bloody demon box." Killian groaned as he wacked the alarm clock with his hook; successfully stopping the noise, and quite possibly damaging it to never make a sound again. Right now, Emma was too tired to care.

"You said it, babe." The saviour sighed as she reluctantly untangled herself from the covers.

"Where you going, Swan?" Killian made a feeble attempt at grabbing his wife's wrist.

"To have a shower before heading to the station." Emma leant over to kiss her pirate, making sure to dodge his arms from trapping her against him. "A lot still to sort out after yesterday."

"You don't have to go, love. I will." Killian's mumbles would seem much more sincere if he wasn't already sinking back into his pillow.

"It's fine, really. You stayed late last night. And your day with Katie got interrupted." Emma made her way around the room, putting together an outfit for that day. "Besides one of us needs to go with her to Alexandra's birthday. I'll try to join you later. I've wrapped the present, make sure Katie's written the card that's on her desk." Emma called as she entered the master bathroom, hoping the shower would make her alert enough to drive. If not, the litre of coffee that she was planning to drink should do it.

#

Killian decided to walk with his daughter to the party. Sean and Ashley didn't live very far, besides the fresh air and exercise usually helped to revitalise him. Katie was clasping the present tightly to her being, taking cautious measured steps as if she were afraid to drop it. He wasn't sure which doll they had decided to give Alexandra, but he didn't think it would be a shame if either of them were dropped.

 _"Which doll should we give Alexandra? The one that looks like a transvestite or the one that looks like a dominatrix?"_ _Emma had held up the two options for Killian's opinion. He'd barked a laugh at the pretty accurate descriptions._

 _"I know when you're quoting something." Killian raised an eyebrow when his wife batted her innocent eyes at him._

 _"And I love it that you never know what it is." Emma laughed as she discarded the questionable dolls for a later decision. "Although we've watched this particular one together more than once." Killian furrowed his brow, but couldn't recall which movie out of the volume that he'd now seen that she was referring to. Then his wife was kissing him, and it hardly mattered anymore._

They arrived outside the house which was covered in pink birthday banners and balloons. Katie began to nervously smooth out her dress with her free hand.

"Hey lass." Killian rested his hook on his daughter's arm, successfully stalling her movements. "You look stunning, as beautiful as your soul. Every bit the princess that you are." Katie smiled brightly at her father as she took his hook in her hand.

"KATIE!" They had barely entered the garden before a whirl of blonde and pink came barrelling towards them. Alexandra bumped hard into Killian, but seemed completely unfazed by the collision. "I'm soooo glad you came! Cause I know you weren't sure, I could tell you weren't sure, but then mommy said you were coming but I didn't want to totally believe it. But now here you are!" Killian hadn't had many encounters with the young girl, especially not in recent years, but Emma had said that she was something of a chatterbox. He now thought that chatterbox was an understatement. "Is that a present for me?"

Katie nodded as she handed over the brightly wrapped parcel.

"Happy Birthday, lass." Killian laughed lightly as the birthday girl took her offered gift.

"Thank you so much. And thanks for coming." Alexandra gave Killian a half hug with her free arm. The pirate was warmed by the true gratefulness the girl was showing. Even with her royal heritage, Alexandra clearly wasn't a spoilt brat as many young royals were. It might have something to do with Cinderella's hardships, or the fact that she lives here in Storybrooke where her title isn't seen as so important. "Come on Katie, the games are starting soon." The blonde girl held out her hand, waiting patiently for her friend to take it. Once Katie had done as required, they were both off into the garden. Killian followed at a slower pace, towards the music and children's laughter.

"Killian, you made it." Ashley beamed when the pirate came into view. "Emma not with you?"

"Unfortunately not, there are some Sherriff duties needing her attention." Killian was touched by the woman's pout at this news. Although the pair weren't exactly close, Ashley and Emma were certainly friendly. "She sends her apologies, and hopes to be able to swing by later."

"Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed." Ashley led Killian towards the paved section, where numerous collections of patio furniture was set up. He took a seat at the table with his in-laws.

"What's this I hear about Emma not coming?" David passed his mate a beer from the cooler next to him.

"She had to go into the station. Something went down at The Rabbit Hole yesterday. Burglary, vandalism, that sort of thing." Killian opened the bottle with his teeth, and took a healthy gulp.

"Oh that's awful." Snow had been ready to admonish her daughter for her absence, now she felt bad for her.

"Aye, I spent all night working on it." Killian was glad that the chair he was in wasn't entirely comfortable, otherwise he would certainly fall asleep. "Hopefully that means less for Emma to do today though. She does want to make it."

"Guyliner." Regina smirked as she approached the table with Neal dragging his feet behind her.

"Majesty, so kind of you to join us." Killian jested to which Regina rolled her eyes.

"I was required to accompany the young prince to the bathroom." Regina sat in her vacated seat next to Snow, twirling her apple cider between her manicured fingers.

"Is this a new duty required of the Mayor, then?" Killian took another pull from his drink.

"It appears so. Although I hope at your age, you've worked out how to do it on your own by now." Regina's eyes glinted as the bantering duo held eye contact for a few moments. After which they both started to laugh.

"When can we go?" Neal moaned as he leaned against his mother.

"Neal we've only just got here." Snow sighed, running a hand over her youngest's head. "If you don't want to be out here, I think some of the boys are playing video games inside."

"They say I'm too young to play." Neal as he glared daggers in the direction of the house.

"Not having fun, lad?" Killian knew that he had a certain way with Neal, seeing as he was his older brother-in-law rather than a parent. Neal shook his head and walked towards the pirate. "And why is that?"

"It's a girl's party." Neal spat out the word 'girl' as many young boys are prone to do. "Everything's pink and princessy and there's no swords!"

"Well maybe we don't need swords." Killian wiggled his eyebrows knowingly at Neal, before brandishing his hook. "What say you, pirate, have you brought your hook?"

"Aaarrrr." Neal's face lit up as he did his signature pirate pose; one eye closed and his fingers curled like a hook.

"Not this again." David grumbled as the other two males took off onto the grass to be 'pirates'.

"Stop it, they're just having fun." Snow chastised her husband, who had crossed his arms over his chest. "And if a pirate captain is good enough to marry our daughter and be a father to our granddaughter, then it's a good enough ambition for our son."

"My son is not becoming a pirate captain, Snow. Mark my words." David finished off the rest of his beer, before standing to join them.

"Whatever you say, Charming." Snow and Regina laughed as David indignantly walked over to where his son was playing with his son-in-law.

#

It just so happened that many of girls also liked the idea of playing pirates, some opting to stay princesses but still joining in with the game. The boys who were playing inside heard the fun happening outside, and most of them came to play too. It didn't take long for Killian and Charming to be each leading a band of 'pirates' and 'princes' to win over the fair 'princesses'.

Katie was lagging behind the group slightly. She chose to be a princess, as she actually was one now, but now wished she'd gone for a pirate. Watching her dad joking around with his 'band of miscreants' was making her ache. Katie was about to go join them and claim that she was a pirate-princess, when the voice next to her cried out.

"I've made my choice." The girl, Hayley, claimed excitedly as she stepped away from the princess group. "I chose a pirate as my true love."

"Good choice, lass." Killian smirked smugly at David, before turning to his 'crew'. "Now who gets to accompany lovely…"

"Hayley." The girl supplied brightly.

"Hayley to the ball later…" Killian tapped his fingers on his chin as he pretended to take this into great consideration.

"I choose you!" Hayley jumped onto Killian and held on with all of her might. The pirate was taken aback by the action and gave a slightly nervous chuckle. David watched the interaction in amusement. Katie, on the other hand, was far from amused. She felt tears begin to burn behind her eyes as she stared at another little girl with her arms around her father. Katie turned and slowly walked away towards the house.

"Lass?" Killian managed to extract himself from Hayley when he saw his daughter's shoulders slump. With a furrowed brow he went to follow her, but caught Snow's gaze instead. The woman winked at him as she stood to intercept Katie. The pirate smiled gratefully and turned back to the rest of the children. He was worried about his daughter, but knew that he could trust Snow to look after her.

"Katie." Snow smiled warmly as the young girl bumped into her. Blue eyes shot up towards her, seemingly relieved to see that she knew the person.

"Grandma." Katie put her arms around Snow's waist and buried her face in her stomach. This wasn't the first hug that they'd shared, but Snow's heart melted all the same.

"Why don't you come sit with me?" The woman held Katie by the shoulders and careened her towards their table. Which was now empty. Snow subtly searched of Regina, sighing when she came up short. She knew about what had happened. Or course she did. David, Emma and little Neal had talked to her about it. She still wished that Regina didn't choose leaving as the answer. "You having fun?"

"I guess." Katie shrugged as she swung her legs back and forth.

"That doesn't sound too convinced. What is it?" Snow followed her granddaughter's gaze to where the group were playing. Or, more specifically, to where Killian was attempting to walk with three girls hugging his legs. "Ah. You know, I'm sure your dad would do that with you, too."

"He does." Katie dropped her gaze to the table in front of her. She could no longer watch her dad having fun with the other girls. The girls who were chatting and laughing easily. Normal children with no issues. Any of them would be easier to have for a daughter. "Did." The whisper was so quiet that Snow wasn't sure if Katie had said anything.

"Sweetheart, you're daddy loves you more than anything. So does your Mommy, and so do a lot of people. We're your family and we wouldn't change a single thing about you."

"You sound like Mommy." Katie smiled softly as she raised her eyes to look at her grandmother.

"Well then you should listen, because us mother's know best." Snow decided to take this opportunity to segue into the other issue. "You know about my mother, don't you?"

"A little."

"Well my mother, Queen Eva, was a wonderful woman who loved me very much. She always taught me right from wrong. Sadly she passed away when I was not much older than you."

"I'm sorry." Katie moved her chair closer to her grandmother, and took one of her hands in her own.

"It was a long time ago. I always held her up on this pedestal in my mind. I thought that all mothers only ever want what's best for their children." Katie bit her lip as she thought about the woman who'd given birth to her. The woman who was supposed to be a mother to her. But she never was. Now though, Katie had a mommy who treated her right. "Sadly, this meant that I trusted someone that I shouldn't have. Cora, Regina's mother, put her own needs in front of her children's." Snow felt Katie's grip on her hand tighten at the mention of Regina, but she continued. "Regina lost her true love because of this. The pain she felt led to her becoming the Evil Queen. I'm not telling you this to make excuses for what she did. However, Regina's apologised and shown us time and time again that she has changed."

Katie pondered these words over in her head. She was still scared of the Evil Queen, but maybe Regina wasn't the Evil Queen anymore. Katie felt very lucky that she'd gotten the right mother in the end. It sounded like Regina never got that. It kind of made Katie feel bad for her.

"Everyone deserves a second chance. Maybe even more than that if necessary." Snow was glad that her granddaughter wasn't immediately dismissing her arguments for Regina's good character. "I'm not saying you have to accept her straightaway, but try for me?" Katie didn't need to think before she nodded her head. She trusted her family. And they trusted Regina. She should at least try to find out why.

"Milady, I am truly humbled to interrupt, but I was wondering if this beauty would honour me with a dance?" Killian knelt in front of his daughter, holding out his hand to her. Katie smiled sheepishly as she looked into her father's eyes.

"You may." Katie placed her hand in Killian's as she hopped from her seat. It warmed Snow's heart to see the two of them walk over to the makeshift dance floor, where a few dancers resided already; it was mostly children, but that didn't deter Killian.

"You didn't have to do that." Regina slid into her empty seat, making Snow jump.

"Yes I did." Snow smiled, she should have known that Regina would remain in hearing distance. "Everything I said was true."

"I really am sorry." Regina sipped her apple cider.

"And you really have changed." Snow looked over just in time to catch Neal copying some of the older boys in doing knee slides across the dance floor. Scuffed trouser legs were a small price to pay for her child's enjoyment. At that, Snow thought of Emma and how her other child was stuck working whilst they were all having fun. She hoped she wouldn't be for much longer.

#

Emma hastened out of her bug towards the party music and laughter. She had had quite the day and needed a drink. Emma entered the house, which was unlocked, and ran into Ashley in the kitchen.

"Emma, it's so good to see you." Ashely rounded the island to greet her friend.

"Ashley…" Emma's smile faltered as the woman pulled her into a hug. Although she wasn't overly showing, there was a very clear bump pressed against her stomach. Emma would have guessed around 4 months. She tried to seem breezy as the woman pulled back. "Are you…?"

"Pregnant? Yes, is it that obvious?" Ashley was positively glowing even as she seemed to attempt to flatten down her baby bump.

"No, it's just…" Emma definitely needed a drink now. "Wow." And with that the sheriff went to step outside, the air suddenly stifling. She had never been that great with dealing with pregnancy announcements; what with being 'abandoned' by her parents, giving her own baby up, her parents deciding to have another child. Ever since she found out that she could no longer get pregnant, her reactions had become even worse.

 _Emma was happy that Ruby and Dorothy had decided to return to Storybrooke, even if it wasn't clear how long they'd be staying for. Ruby had become a good friend of hers since the first curse, and it was nice to finally meet Dorothy._

 _She'd somehow allowed herself to be talked into going on a girls' night with Snow, Regina, Belle and Ruby. Killian had wanted her to relax; she knew that he'd been worried about her ever since they'd started the investigations into their fertility. Emma hadn't drank in almost a year. One of the many online articles that she'd read had blamed alcohol for women having trouble conceiving, so she had given it up straight away. Now though, they knew that alcohol wasn't the reason why she couldn't have kids so there was no point to being T-total any longer._

 _"It's a shame that Dorothy couldn't make it." Belle had become quick friends with the new arrival._

 _"Should she even be invited?" Regina asked as she stirred her cocktail with her straw._

 _"Regina." Snow's admonishment may have worked if it hadn't have been slightly slurred._

 _"What? I'm just saying that this is girls' night, and-" Regina raised a hand to stop Belle and Ruby from jumping in, "I know that Dorothy's a girl. But isn't the point of girls' night to get away from our partners. Like even Charming and Guyliner manage to stay away, which is saying something." Emma rolled her eyes at Regina's insinuation that neither she nor Killian could cope without the other there. "Shouldn't Ruby get a night out without her lover? Trust me, if couples start coming to this then I'm staying at home."_

 _"Don't you think that's a bit dramatic?" Belle laughed as she gestured for another round of drinks._

 _"I do see your point, though. I'll think about it. But it doesn't matter cause Dorothy wasn't feeling up to coming tonight, and I doubt she will be for a while." Ruby smiled slyly into her fresh pornstar martini. Emma felt her heartbeat increase. She was sure that she knew what that smile meant._

 _"Is she ok?" Belle worried over what could put Dorothy out of action for a long time._

 _"Yeah, she's great actually. We both are." Ruby set her drink down on the table and straightened herself up. Emma downed the remainder of her drink before moving onto the fresh one._

 _"Are you?" Snow gasped in delight._

 _"Yep. Dorothy's pregnant. We're going to have a baby." Ruby squealed as Snow and Belle both jumped up to hug her. Regina rolled her eyes even if there was a smile on her face. Emma busied herself with seeing off her drink._

 _"That's amazing, I'm so happy for you!" Belle beamed as everyone returned to their seats. "This calls for shots."_

 _"Congratulations, Red." Snow squeezed her oldest friend's hand in her own. "Now I want to hear everything. When did this happen? Is this why you came back? What do you think it will be? Will you raise the child here or in Oz? What is it planned…?"_

 _"Well of course it was planned, Snow. It's not like you can accidentally get pregnant through girl-on-girl sex." Regina sighed as the bartender approached with 10 shots. The women cheered. Well all expect Emma, who was trying to stop her heart from coming out of her mouth._

 _"Nicely put." Ruby winked at Regina; the two of them both respected the other for their forwardness. "Yeah, we decided we wanted to try so we came back here to try some treatments. And it worked, Dorothy's 12 weeks pregnant." Emma felt like she had been knocked from her axis, now left to free fall in darkness. She and Killian had been trying for a baby since before Ruby and Dorothy even returned to this world. However modern medicine was unable to help them, but seemed to have no issues quickly granting this couple with a child. Emma wanted to be happy for them, she did. She just couldn't shake the feeling of how unfair it all seemed._

 _"That deserves a toast." Belle took a shot in her hand urging the others to do the same. Emma couldn't refrain from rolling her eyes. "To Ruby and Dorothy. And this world's medicine which makes it possible for you two to have a baby together." All the women clinked glasses before downing the shot; which turned out to be Sambuca._

 _"I've missed you guys." Ruby giggled as Snow and Belle succumbed to coughing fits. "And the range of alcohol available. That's definitely a tick in the pros of Storybrooke column."_

 _"So you haven't decided on where you're going to live permanently?" Regina side-eyed Emma, who hadn't said a word since the announcement._

 _"No not yet. We want Dorothy to have the baby here, where childbirth is so much safer. But after that, who knows."_

 _"Well I'm sure wherever you choose will be fine. I know you two will love this baby with everything you have, and that's all that matters in the end." Snow's speech had become even more slurred, but the general gist of her words got through._

 _"I'll drink to that." Ruby winked as she picked up her shot glass and downed it. Regina and Emma followed suit, whilst Snow and Belle left theirs where they were. Emma tried to check the time on her phone, but her vision was to blurry to make out the numbers. "You alright, Ems?"_

 _"Huh?" Emma tried to remain nonchalant as the women all turned to her._

 _"It's just you've been pretty quiet." Ruby pursed her lips as she leaned across the table towards Emma. "Don't I get a Congrats?" Emma thought that if she just stayed silent then this evening would pass her by. All she wanted to do was go crawl into bed next Killian, and maybe have a cry if she felt so inclined. "Nothing you want to say?"_

 _"Course." Emma needed even more liquid courage for this, so she did her mother's discarded shot. It took less than a second for her to realise that that had been a mistake. "I think…I think I'm gonna be sick." And with that Emma ran to the ladies bathroom._

 _"Emma?" Snow went to go after her daughter, sobering up slightly as realisation hit her. She couldn't believe how blind she'd been. Of course Ruby and Dorothy's pregnancy would upset Emma._

 _"No, I'll go." Ruby stopped Snow and stormed towards the toilets before anyone could stop her. Snow pulled out her phone and rang for help._

 _Emma hadn't even drank that much compared to her usual standards, but she supposed she should have given herself time to get used to alcohol again. Maybe started on beers and wine, instead of going straight for the hard stuff. Lessons are usually learnt the hard way, Emma mused as she threw up her drinks from that night. To be fair, Emma didn't know quite the level of emotional turmoil that she'd be thrown into tonight._

 _"Emma!" Ruby swung the door to her stall open, seeing as Emma hadn't locked it in her hurry. "What's your problem, huh?"_

 _"Ruby, I…" Emma slurred as she rested her cheek against the cold porcelain._

 _"What? Is my happy ending not good enough for the Saviour? Is it not conventional enough for the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming? Cause, I'll tell you something, your parents don't have a problem with me and Dorothy. They're actually pleased for me. Christ, your mom was the one who told me to go for it." Ruby was furious at Emma, who was the last person that she would think would have a problem with homosexual relationships._

 _"It's…" Emma shook her head, wanting to dismiss Ruby's wrong assumptions, but she ended up retching into the toilet instead._

 _"Is it really so awful that it is possible for two women to have a child together? So upsetting that me and Dorothy get to have a baby-"_

 _"Yes!" Emma cried out as she wiped her mouth on some toilet paper._

 _"You serious?" Ruby gaped at her 'supposed' friend, not letting her answer the question. "Well, you know what makes me sick? It's people like you! Hypocrites who pretend to be want everyone to be happy, when in reality they just want the world to conform to their ideas. Well guess what, little miss perfect. We sure as hell won't be giving our baby away, because we actually want it, instead of being stupid knocked-up teenagers who-"_

 _"That's enough!" The shout from the door effectively made Ruby stop talking. Killian stepped into the ladies and glared at Ruby. He knew that they been drinking, and emotions were high, but he wasn't going to except those things said towards his wife. His wife who was sat on the alcohol soaked floor, crying silently onto the toilet seat._

 _"Don't look at me like that." Ruby spat, wiping the angry tears from her eyes._

 _"Just go, Ruby." Killian moved past the brunette, towards the blonde who held his heart. "Ruby, go." Killian gritted out causing Ruby to huff and leave the bathroom. His face softened as he moved to join his wife. "Emma."_

 _"Killian?" Emma slurred as her husband slowly pulled her against his chest. Her head lolled back against his shoulder._

 _"I've got you Swan, I've got you." Killian pressed a kiss to his wife's hair._

 _"Ruby…" Emma mumbled as he stood both of them up to lean against the wall._

 _"Can wait until tomorrow." Killian didn't know what had happened. Snow had basically said that he needed to come and get Emma. She was his main priority; for now, and forever. "For now you need to go home, get some water and rest." Emma nodded lazily as she slumped against her husband. Killian shucked off his jacket to wrap around her, before picking her up bridal style. He cursed Aesop's Tables for not having a back exit, as he was forced to carry his inebriated wife through the bar._

 _"Take care of her." Snow moved her daughter's sweaty locks away from her face, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Emma kept her eyes closed, letting out a small hum of contentment._

 _"Always." Killian promised with a nod to the rest of the group as he exited the bar._

 _"Jesus." Ruby breathed out as she had calmed down enough to take in Emma's dishevelled state. There was clearly something wrong with her friend, and if she hadn't of gotten so riled up maybe she would have found out what._

 _It turned out to be the day after tomorrow when Emma felt well enough to approach Ruby. Dorothy insisted on being present to the conversation, obviously having heard about what had happened, but Ruby managed to persuade her to leave them alone. Over a bottle of wine and a box of tissues, Emma spilled everything that had been going on. Every thought that flew through her mind when Ruby announced the pregnancy. Ruby listened patiently, pained by her friend's anguish. The brunette ended up apologising for accusing Emma of being homophobic, which the blonde shrugged off as she thought it was an understandable conclusion to jump to; especially on an alcohol fuelled brain._

 _By the time Ruby and Dorothy had their baby, Emma and Killian were the chosen godparents._

Emma immediately eyed Regina sitting at a table with Belle, the drinks cooler next to them. Taking a deep breath she walked over to her friends.

"Emma, you made it." Belle smiled brightly as the blonde approached them. Regina instinctively passed Emma a can of beer, with a wink.

"Yeah, thanks. I need that." Emma chuckled as she took a few healthy gulps of the liquid. She had been planning to drive home, but now she was tempted to leave the car to pick it up tomorrow. Or beg Killian to pick it up for her tomorrow. Either way worked. "Where's everyone else?"

"Where d'you think?" Regina laughed as she tilted her head towards the dancing area. There were pink fairy lights hung from the trees above, which glittered on the floor below. That wasn't what took Emma's breath away though. She caught sight of her husband, looking sinful in his navy blue shirt and black skinny jeans. Killian had his hook arm stretched out, clearly with someone on the other end. Emma was certain that she knew who it was. Then Killian tugged slightly to twirl his partner into his arms, and her suspicion was confirmed. Her daughter was wearing the lilac dress that Snow had bought for her, along with matching shoes. Nestled into her dark waves was the tiara that Emma had conjured for her. Best of all both of them were wearing dazzling carefree smiles.

"Is everything ok, Emma?" Ashley asked gently, as she had been slightly concerned by her friend's fast exit.

"Hmm?" Emma was stuck in the trance of watching her husband and daughter spin around the dance floor. Sean danced past with Alexandra standing on his feet, smiling like the other father-daughter pair. That was when Emma realised that she had exactly what Ashley had. And yes it may have taken a bit longer to find her daughter. Yes she wasn't able to grow a child of her own in her stomach for nine months. But if she could, then she wouldn't have Katie. She wouldn't have this. And that was the thought that was painful. "Yes, I'm great thanks Ashley." Emma made to join her family, before catching herself. Turning Emma smiled. "By the way, congratulations, Ashley. I really am happy for you."

Killian glanced up at the sound of his wife's voice. Emma smiled warmly as they made eye contact, basking in the love in Killian's gaze. The pirate nodded to his daughter, indicating that Emma had finally arrived. Katie's eyes lit up in excitement as she ran from her father's arms into her mother's.

"Hi Mommy." Katie whispered when Emma caught her with ease. The blonde loved when her daughter spoke softly into her ear, so that no one else could hear; it felt like her voice was a special gift just for her.

"Hi sweetie." Emma kissed Katie on the cheek and carried her back onto the dancefloor to join her husband. "You having fun?"

"Uh-huh." Katie nodded as Emma set her back onto her feet. Alexandra ran up and grabbed Katie's hands, spinning them both around in a circle of giggles.

"You alright, Swan?" Killian held his wife around the waist and pulled her against him.

"Never better." Emma sighed as she watched the way Katie's face lit up. Emma squealed in surprise as Killian spun her away from him, only to laugh as he brought her back in to dance. That was how they spent the rest of the evening. Emma dancing with her husband, her daughter, her father and even her little brother wasn't embarrassed enough to deny her a quick song.

Katie had decided during the week that, although she was going to the party, she didn't feel ready for a sleepover yet; preferring to leave with her parents. When they walked home way later than anticipated, Killian carrying a sleeping Katie against him, Emma knew that she needed to stop thinking about what could have been. Because nothing could be as amazing as this.


	13. Chapter 13

Killian was busy cleaning up the leftovers from breakfast, while his wife helped his daughter get ready for the day. Katie's class were learning about animals so their teacher had suggested that they all come in dressed as their favourite creature. His little girl took absolutely no time in choosing a bunny rabbit; he couldn't wait to see how cute she would surely look.

The doorbell rang as Killian was loading up the dishwasher. He wiped his hands on a towel before heading to answer it.

"Mrs Bradey." The pirate's face lit up at the sight of the kind woman. "Please come in."

"Mr Jones." Mrs Bradey smiled as she entered the home. "I hope this isn't a bad time."

"Of course not." Killian led the way into the kitchen, taking a seat at the table. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"I need to talk about somethings with you and your wife, is she here?" Mrs Bradey sat down across from Killian. The woman was lacking her usual enthusiasm.

"Aye, she's upstairs with Katie. They shouldn't be long." Killian's brow furrowed slightly at her ambiguous answer. "Can I get you a drink while you wait?"

"A cup of coffee would be lovely." Mrs Bradey's smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Killian tried not to dwell on it as he went about making a fresh batch. The kitchen was silent apart from the sound of the machine, the atmosphere verging on uncomfortable.

"Mrs Bradey!" Katie let go of her mother's hand and ran down the stairs to greet her former care giver.

"Hello sweetie." The woman's smile became more genuine as she opened her arms to the young girl. "How are you?"

"Good, thank you." Katie stepped out from the embrace to show off her outfit. She had a pair of white and pink bunny ears on her head, with a white t-shirt and leggings. A pink tutu jutted out from her waist. Her mother had painted her nose pink and added black whiskers to her cheeks. "I'm a bunny."

"You certainly are, lass." Killian gushed as his daughter spun around. His reaction grew at the glimpse of a fluffy bunny tail. "Mommy sure did a wonderful job."

"I said thank you." Katie nodded as she ran back to where Emma was slowly making her way into the room. Killian knew that his wife could sense the off atmosphere.

"Like always." Emma smiled and took her daughter's hand in her own. "It's good to see you Mrs Bradey."

"Likewise dear." Mrs Bradey stood to quickly hug Emma before returning to her chair.

"Mrs Bradey was saying that she has things to discuss with us, love." Killian handed the woman her drink. Emma could hear the apprehension in her husband's voice. Katie seemed to feel it also, as she moved closer to Emma.

"Katie, what if I get granddad to take you to school today? You can show him and Neal your costume." Emma rubbed her daughter's back, silently praying that Katie accepted the offer. At the young girl's nod, Emma called her father.

David and Neal arrived quickly as they had already left when he answered the call. The prince melted at the sight of his granddaughter in all her cuteness. Emma knew that both he and Killian would let Katie get away with murder in that attire.

"What's all this about then?" Killian and Emma waited for Katie to leave, before sitting opposite the other woman.

"We've received news regarding Katie's birth mother." Mrs Bradey spoke carefully over her cup of coffee. Emma's heart dropped into her stomach. There was only one reason that she could think of as to why they were being told this. Katie's birth mother wanted back into her life. But Katie was her daughter now. And Emma would not lose her to some woman who abandoned her. She thought back to how Regina had reacted when she'd first arrived in Storybrooke, and for once felt empathy towards the queen's reaction to Emma spending time with Henry. (Still Emma had been a teenager left alone in prison when she gave up Henry for adoption, not some drug addict who'd abandoned her child to the hands of a monster).

"What does she want?" Killian bit out as he grasped Emma's hand in his own.

"Well she wishes to see her daughter, once more, before… before she dies." Mrs Bradey removed an envelope from her bag and placed it on the table. "You see, Miss Taylor is very sick and, according to that letter, she doesn't have long left." Emma felt a brief rush of relief before overwhelming guilt took over; what kind of woman was relieved to hear that someone they've never met was dying?

"So she…I don't…what happens now?" Emma's mind was swimming and it was hard to get a single coherent thought.

"It's up to you two. I know that must seem like a lot, but as Katie's parents it is your choice whether to allow her to visit Miss Taylor or not." Mrs Bradey knew that this was going to be hard for the couple. She also knew that they were fundamentally good people, and she trusted that they'd make the right decision; whatever that may be for Katie. "You're not even bound to tell Katie about this at all, if you see fit to keep it from her."

"How long does she have?" Killian was struggling to process this new development, and he could tell that Emma was feeling the same.

"No longer than 6 weeks, that's what the doctors are saying. All the information is in here." Mrs Bradey pointed to the envelope before going to stand up. "I know that this is a lot to take in, so I'll give you time to talk it over. If you have any questions, or need anything at all, remember that I'm just a phone call away."

"Thank you, we will." Killian forced a smile as he led the woman towards the front door. Emma remained sitting, her heart thumping loudly in her ears. Mrs Bradey gave the pirate a hug goodbye, before exiting the house.

"What are we going to do?" Emma whispered when Killian re-joined her at the table.

"I don't know." Killian rubbed his hand down his face, pausing as Emma brought her hand up to clasp his own. He entwined his fingers with hers and proceeded to lay a kiss to each of her knuckles. "I don't feel comfortable keeping this from Katie though."

"I agree." Emma closed her eyes with a sigh. Their daughter had been doing so well recently, but this might send her progress backwards. "We should talk to Archie about it. He might be able to help in her session on Thursday."

"I'll alert him to the situation." Killian placed the empty coffee cup in the dishwasher before finally turning it on.

"We should get to work. We'll both have to take the afternoon off to be with Katie." Emma wearily got up from her seat to put on her jacket.

"Aye." Killian frowned at the tension in his wife's shoulders. He walked over to her and gently turned her to face him. "Hey, it's going to be ok. Katie's going to be ok."

"I know." Emma nodded as she allowed her husband to embrace her.

#

Killian read the contents of the envelope as soon as they got to the station. There was a medical letter explaining that Miss Taylor has stage 4 liver cirrhosis, along with numerous other health problems as a consequence of her life style. It confirms that she has up to 6 weeks left to live, and will spend the remainder of her life in hospital. Killian's feelings, much like Emma's, are extremely conflicted towards his daughter's birth mother and her illness. There is also a letter in there written by Miss Taylor herself, but it's addressed to Katie so Killian leaves that alone.

They work in silence all morning, trying not to stew in their own thoughts. There's no use talking about the subject anymore until they've explained it to Katie. The parents will let their daughter's reaction fuel their next move.

At lunchtime Emma drives her and Killian to the school to pick up Katie. They both laugh when their daughter hops up to them in her bunny outfit.

"Hey sweetie." Emma hugs the little girl against her, a little tighter than necessary. "Did you have a good day?"

Katie nods and her smile gets impossibly wider, threatening to split her cheeks. Killian wishes he could keep that smile on her face forever, but he knows that it will disappear at the mention of her birth mother. Katie notices the frown on her father's face, before he quickly hides it once more. She knows that it must have something to do with Mrs Bradey's visit. Her smile lessens slightly.

Emma drives back to the house slowly, taking the scenic route to delay the conversation as much as possible. It still seems too soon when the bug pulls up to their house.

"Princess, mommy and I need to talk to you." Killian led Katie to the couch, where she settled in the middle of her parents. Katie's heart was hammering at the sombre looks on their faces. She knew they loved her, they made sure that she always felt wanted. That didn't stop the voice in Katie's head telling her that they were sending her back. That something had gone wrong with the adoption. Or they just weren't able to do it anymore.

"Remember we love you." Emma could practically see the self-deprecating thoughts materialising in Katie's mind. She took one of her daughter's hands in her own, prompting Killian to do the same. "We're your parents and we love you."

"Ok." Katie smiled weakly as she looked between her parents.

"Katie, the reason Mrs Bradey was here earlier was because of your birth mother." Killian tucked a piece of Katie's hair behind her ear with his hook. The young girl's eyes went wide as she stared at her father. "She's very sick and has asked if she can see you before…before she…" Killian couldn't finish that sentence. Tears were already escaping down Katie's cheeks, any remnants of her earlier happiness having vanished. Her black whiskers were smudged away by the liquid. Katie knew the end of the sentence. Her father didn't have to say it for her to know what was happening. Her birth mother was dying. And she wanted to see her.

"Baby…" Emma blinked back her own tears at seeing her daughter so upset. The mother had no idea what to say or do to make this better; she doubted that it could be done. Katie looked up at her mommy and saw the tears glistening behind her lashes, the sadness in her features. The young girl wanted to tell her that she was still her mommy. That even if she went to visit her birth mother it didn't change that. She knew Emma needed to hear that. However, no words would come. Katie's vocal blockage was once again in place, her selective muteness blocking her off from the world. From her mother. Katie climbed onto her daddy's lap and buried down into his chest.

"Sssh it's going to be ok." Killian rubbed his daughter's back as she let out shuddering breaths. He looked at Emma as he said the words, but his wife refused to make eye contact. Emma simply stared at Katie's small form, hoping against hope that this didn't change anything between them.

#

Katie refused to go into school the next day, and neither Emma nor Killian had the heart to force her. She spent the day curled up in the break room at the station, underneath her Tangled blanket. Her parents took it in turns to check on her every 20 minutes or so, but the little girl always squeezed her eyes shut as soon as the door was opened.

Emma let David know that Katie wouldn't be coming round as she usually did on a Wednesday afternoon. The prince's disappointment was clear, but he was more worried for his granddaughter than anything. Emma tried to reassure her father that everything was fine, that Katie was just having a bad day. The words tasted sour in her mouth.

By the time they went to bed that night, Katie hadn't spoken a word in over 24 hours. Killian couldn't describe how much he missed his daughter's voice. Her twinkling giggles. He closed his eyes and prepared for another sleepless night from worrying about Katie.

A shuddering breath, followed by a few muffled sniffles, made Killian open his eyes again. His wife was turned away from him with her face buried in the pillow clutched to her chest.

"Emma." Killian breathed as he pressed himself against his true love's back. He could feel her trembling.

"Sorry." Emma quietly gasped, and a tear splashed onto the already damp pillow.

"Hey, none of that." Killian placed the pillow back against the headboard, before turning his wife into his arms.

"It's...It's just..." Emma stuttered as she hugged her husband tightly around his chest.

"Hard." Killian finished for her. "Aye that it is. We knew it would be coming into this. And you reminded me that although life is messy, complicated and hard, it's also brilliant." He laid a kiss into her hair and Emma relaxed further against him. "Katie will come out of this, love, as brilliant as ever."

"I know." Emma attempted to smile up at her husband.

"What else is it, Swan?" Killian brushed his stump against her cheek, wiping away any lingering moisture from her tears. Emma wasn't even surprised that her husband knew that something else was bothering her; she'd long accepted that she would always be an open book to him.

"Honestly?" Emma sat up against the headboard and Killian straightened up with her. They kept their hands entwined. "I'm angry, Killian. I'm so so angry. I'm angry at a dying woman who I've never met. What kind of person does that make me?"

"No worse a one than me. I feel it to. The rage bubbling beneath the surface. Why now? Why when our beautiful little girl, who has been through so much, is starting to trust and accept love?" Killian's jaw ticks with the words so Emma raises her free hand to soothe the tension away.

"If she had to die, why couldn't it be instant like being hit by a car or something?" Emma hopes to lighten the mood slightly, but joking about a terminal woman's death isn't a good enough punch line. "I keep wishing that we get a call saying it's too late. That she's already dead." Emma whispers her darkest truth to Killian, watching for his reaction. Then suddenly she's crying again because that's an awful thing to think, but even more awful to say. And Emma knows how much that would hurt Katie; growing up always knowing that she could have fulfilled her birth mother's dying wish if she'd only been quicker with her decision. Her daughter deserved to make the choice without death ripping it away from her. Killian pulls his wife onto his lap, cradling her against him. He doesn't say anything, doesn't know what to say. He has had the same thoughts as Emma. And much worse ones.

Emma tries to muffle her cries against her husband's neck. Kilian tries the same with her hair, when tears begin to slip down his cheeks too. The couple don't know that any effort to keep their sadness quiet is futile. As there is a pair of blue eyes watching them through the crack in their door.

#

The cold night air whips Katie's hair against her cheeks, making her long for the french plaits that her mother's so good at. The weight of her backpack keeps threatening to topple her backwards, making her wish for her father's strong arms to carry it for her. They're why she's doing this though. She'd made her mommy cry. Katie had been trying so hard not to upset her. Waiting till she found the right words to assure her that she would always be her mom. She'd waited too long and now her mommy was crying. And her daddy too. Katie had never seen her father like that.

It was going to be ok, though. Katie had a plan to make it all better. So, with one of her father's maps in hand, she started on the road out of Storybrooke.

It took Katie over an hour to make it to the bus stop outside of town. Emma always said that the buses here were much more reliable than the ones nearer to home. This theory was proved when a bus appeared less than 20 minutes later.

The bus driver looked at her oddly, with a concern which showed more for his license than for the young girl. Katie ignored him, plastering on her best smile as she handed over her allowance. The man eyed her for a few more seconds before nodding for her to take a seat. Katie knew not to make eye contact with any of the stragglers getting a bus during the night. She repressed a shiver at the feel of a man's eyes on her, telling herself not to panic. She was her daddy's ' _brave little lass_ ' and was determined to do this for her parents.

The movement of the bus combined with the golden glow of streetlamps outside was making Katie feel sleepy. Knowing that she couldn't allow herself to be any more vulnerable, she distracted herself with thoughts of her birth mother. Truly there wasn't much Katie could remember from the first 3 years of her life, little of that was happy.

 _Katie sat on her parent's bed watching her mother brush her hair. The two-year-old mimicked the process with her own hair, using her fingers in place of a brush. Every so often her eyes would meet her mother's in the mirror. Katie would beam brightly whenever this connection occurred, receiving a soft smile in response before her mother broke the contact. It was so quiet, just them two in the apartment. It was nice._

 _"Mama?" Katie planned on telling her mother how nice this was. How she wished it could always be like this._

 _"Sssshh." Rebecca Taylor sighed as she continued to run the brush through her hair, although all the knots had been removed some time ago._

 _"I juss…" Katie begun to whisper, thinking that would make her mother happy._

 _"Quiet. Enjoy it." The woman closed her eyes and dropped her head, so her chin rested on her neck._

 _Katie bit her lip as she stared at her mother. She seemed tired, and Katie knew that it was best to leave her alone when she got like this. However, the toddler stayed where she was, not wanting to completely break this moment between them._

 _It wasn't long before her dad returned with one of his friends, and Katie was thrown out of the room. She heard the man say that he liked the softness of her mother's hair. That made Katie smile, as she was sure her mother would be happy after brushing it for so long._

The journey took a good few hours, but finally Katie was able to step off the bus in New York. The driver looked relived that she was no longer his problem to worry about; the man wishing her a pleasant day before departing.

The sun was starting to rise, it's glow still hidden behind the tall skyscrapers. Katie knew it wouldn't be long until her parents, especially her father, woke up. If they weren't awake already. She knew they would figure out where she had gone immediately, but that still hopefully gave her a five-hour head start. She wasn't going to waste it.

#

Killian groaned in frustration as he woke up for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. His moments of sleep had been few and far between, as he had expected. Deciding to stop tormenting himself, Killian carefully moved from under the covers. Thankfully Emma remained asleep; although there was a frown marring her features even now. Killian wished he could smooth it away. He knew that the only one that could was Katie, and the knowledge that she was going to be alright.

The pirate had a longing to check on his daughter. So, while shucking on a faded t-shirt, he made his way to her bedroom. Katie liked to sleep with her door open, so the sight did not alert her father at all. The next sight did.

The room was completely empty. The duvet thrown haphazardly at the end of the bed. The doors of the wardrobe were flung open.

"Katie?" Killian called, praying that his sweet girl would jump out at him; from where he did not know, nor care. All he received in return was silence. "Katie!" The father shouted as he ran down the hall towards the bathroom. Although it was clearly unoccupied, he switched on the light just to be sure. "EMMA!"

Emma jolted awake in her bed, immediately on edge at finding her husband's side of the bed empty. "Killian?" The man in question frantically ran into the room.

"Katie's gone." Killian choked out the words that made his wife's blood run cold. Emma jumped from the bed and ran into Katie's bedroom.

"No no no no." Emma cried as she wrenched the duvet from the bed onto the floor, wishing for her daughter to magically appear. All it accomplished was to send Katie's abandoned phone tumbling to the floor.

"Emma, stop." Killian hauled his wife back to standing and turned her to look at him. "She's not here. And I think we both know where she's gone."

"She's gone to her." Emma's eyes widened at the realization.

#

Katie knew that this next part would be tricky. She was hoping her mother's credit card would help in that respect.

The taxi rank was already beginning to fill with people; most of whom looked half-asleep and depressed to be up at such a time. Katie tried to keep a low profile until she was at the front of the line. She decided that showing the driver the credit card would be her best bet.

"Where to chief?" The man had to straighten up to see more than brown hair and blue eyes through the window. Katie passed him the paper which had the name of the hospital. "Why you going there on your own?" The man's question was not unkind, it obviously came from a place of concern. Katie cast her eyes down. This was a bad idea. How did she think she could do this? "Are you alright, princess?" Tears welled in Katie's eyes at the now familiar term of endearment. Her father always called her his princess. She missed him so much. Why did she leave? She had to go back.

Katie turned away from the cab just as the taxi driver was getting out to check on her.

"Hey, wait up." The shout made Katie increase her pace. She couldn't run, that would bring too much attention to herself. Unfortunately the man didn't seem to care how much attention he brought on himself, and caught up with her easily. The moment she felt his hand on her shoulder, Katie screamed. The hand was quickly withdrawn. "Hey it's ok. I'm sorry."

"What ever is going on here?" An older woman who'd heard the girl's scream came jogging up, along with a few other early risers.

"I don't know. She wanted a ride in my cab to the hospital, but she's all alone." The taxi driver was obviously fretting about what this might look like. "I didn't mean to scare her."

"Hey, it's ok." Another woman, younger than the first, bent down in front of Katie. Hot tears were now cascading down the young girl's cheeks, and she was biting her lip hard to keep from screaming again. "Where are your parents?" At that Katie fully broke down into heaving sobs. Her parents were at home, where she should be. If they hadn't already discovered her missing. She wanted to curl up in her father's leather jacket, be consumed by the material. She wanted to hug her mom and never let go. "Oh sweetie, are you lost? It'll be alright." The woman went to pull Katie into a hug, which caused her to scream again. This one was longer, only quieting when the adults gave her some space to breathe. Breathe, Katie, remember to breathe.

"The poor girl's terrified." The older woman shook her head at the upset child. "Should we call the police?"

"I already did." A person in the small crowd still regarded the taxi driver with suspicion. "They should be here soon."

A few minutes later a police car pulled up on the sidewalk. Most of the people had gone back to their morning routines, so there was only the taxi driver and the young woman waiting with Katie. The young girl herself was frozen to the spot, silent tears still running down her cheeks as she focused on breathing. Her mommy's voice was on loop over and over in her head; counting to 3 with her and offering encouragements every step of the way.

A policeman went to take a statement from the taxi driver, whilst the other one knelt down in front of Katie.

"So what's been going on here then, ay?" The policeman smiled warmly as he reached out to stroke the girl's arm. The woman managed to stop him in time.

"She doesn't like to be touched."

"Ah, I see." The man's expression was one of understanding. He'd dealt with kids in these situations before. "Well can you tell me your name?"

"She hasn't said a word yet." The woman checked her watch and seemed conflicted. "I was meant to be at work already."

"Go give your statement to my colleague, then you're good to go." The policeman smiled but kept his eyes on the young girl. Katie was starting to shake. "Are you cold?" The man removed his jacket to offer it to her, but she flinched away from him.

"Apparently she was trying to get a cab to the hospital." The other policeman jogs over to the two of them. "What you thinking?"

"I'm thinking we need to get her back to the station." The man's eyes met his colleague's and they were clearly on the same page. This child was most likely a runaway from an unhappy home life. Possible domestic abuse. "Okay sweetheart, I'm going to take you to the station where you'll be safe and warm. Is that ok?" Katie's breathing quickened. She couldn't go with the police. She needed to go home. Her parents would be looking for her by now.

"What is it?"

"Apparently she doesn't like to be touched." The policeman wasn't sure of another option though as the girl wasn't moving on her own. After sharing another look with his colleague, he tried again. "I'm going to carry you to the car, ok? It's not long I promise." With that the man's arms went around Katie to lift her off the floor. The girl began screaming immediately. The policeman felt awful, but he kept walking. Her breathing was coming quicker. It felt wrong to be held against a man who wasn't her father or grandfather. Her screams began to break as she struggled for breath. Tears filled her eyes as her brain started to get fuzzy. She was sure she'd never see her parents again. And it was all her fault.

#

Emma's fingers trembled in her lap. Luckily her husband had become rather adept at driving, cause she wasn't sure that she could manage it right now. All of her thoughts were on her baby girl.

The ringing of a phone startled them both. Emma saw that it was a New York number and hastened to answer it.

" _Is this Emma Swan_?" A man's voice came through from the other side, along with a lot of background noise.

"Y-yes. That's me." Emma could feel the tension radiating off Killian. She grasped his thigh with her free hand.

" _Ms Swan, I'm an NYPD officer and I'm calling from 27 Precinct. We have brought in a young girl tonight who was in possession of a credit card under your name_."

"Katie." Emma breathed out. Her little girl had stolen her credit card and was now in a police station. She didn't care about the theft. She just needed to know that Katie was alright.

" _Do you know this child, Ms Swan_?" The man's obvious concern didn't help calm Emma's nerves.

"Yes. She's my daughter. Katie." Emma spoke frantically, and Killian sped up at the clarification that it was someone ringing about his princess. "She…she ran away…" Emma swallowed past the lump in her throat. Admitting that her daughter had run away made a few tears escape down her cheeks. "It was last n-night and we're on our w-way to N-New York n-now."

Killian grumbled when he looked at the Sat-Nav; there was still 2 hours to go.

"Well if you could get here as soon as possible, Ms Swan." There was something in the man's voice that Emma couldn't quite put her finger on. Not a coldness, exactly, but in that ball park. "For Katie's sake."

"Of course. Thank you." Emma's voice shook as she ended the phone call. "W-we need to get to K-Katie. Now."

Killian nodded and increased his speed once more.

Just shy of 2 hours later, the couple ran into the 27th precinct of the NYPD and confronted the woman on the desk. She seemed to have known to expect them and quickly ushered them into what looked to be an interrogation room. Killian began to pace out of agitation. Emma chose to sit as she was feeling emotionally drained.

"Ms Swan? I'm Officer Warton, we spoke on the phone." A policeman entered and offered his hand to Emma. The blonde took it with a hesitant nod. "This is Officer Stalon." The other man followed close behind and shut the door after him. "And you are?"

"Wondering where the bloody hell my daughter is." Killian stopped pacing; instead opting for his intimidating 'Captain Hook' stance.

"My husband, Killian Jones." Emma supplied calmly, although she was feeling anything but. "And he has a point. Where is Katie?"

"Your daughter's fine, I promise you. She's in our pastoral care room, being taken good care of." The policeman finally took a seat across the table, prompting the other officer to do the same. "Mr Jones, would you like to take a seat?"

"I would like to see my daughter." Killian growled. He refused to sit down until he saw Katie. He needed to see his little girl, to know that she was alright.

"And you will do shortly, I assure you." Officer Warton's smile did not meet his eyes. "We simply have a few routine questions to ask you before that happens. So if you wouldn't mind…" The man gestured to the free chair next to Emma. Killian held his ground.

"What questions? Has something happened?" Emma was trying to keep her cool, one of them needed to be civil. But she couldn't help wonder why they weren't allowing them to see Katie right away. Some backwards procedure, ticking off boxes, is what she expected.

"Nothing like that. It's just…when me and my colleague here arrived at the scene, Katie was obviously extremely distressed." Officer Warton looked to the man on his left, as if asking for confirmation. Emma closed her eyes and took some steadying breaths.

"I approached you daughter, and she was obviously upset. She wouldn't speak and when I tried to reach out towards her she flinched." Officer Stalon was clearly younger than his colleague.

"She doesn't like to be touched by people she doesn't know." Killian gritted his teeth. The younger man looked slightly sheepish. "You didn't, did you?" Emma opened her eyes, dread filling her at her husband's question.

"Well…Katie refused to move so I…had to carry her to the police car." Officer Stalon only faltered slightly at the look in the father's eyes.

"You did what." Killian snarled and stepped forward, intent on showing this bumbling fool a thing or two, but was halted by Emma's hand on his wrist.

"They didn't know, Killian." Emma looked up her pirate. She could see that his anger was a manifestation of his worry. Killian didn't say anything, simply entwining his fingers with his wife's. "What happened when you held Katie?"

"She screamed. Continuously. More panicked than one would expect a child to be in that situation." Officer Warton took back control of the conversation. It almost seemed like a hint at the 'good cop, bad cop' routine. Realization slammed into Emma.

"And you think this is because we've…hurt her." Emma's voice was barely above a whisper as fresh tears burned her eyes.

"You what! You're insinuating that we abuse our daughter. How dare you!" Killian's face turned murderous. The only thing preventing him from tearing into these men was Emma's tight grip on his hand.

"It makes sense." Emma tugged on his arm, until Killian relented and looked at her. The silent conversation they then exchanged had him slumping into the free chair. As abhorrent an idea it is that someone would think that he had hurt his daughter, Katie's birth father had. The police were merely doing their job by investigating the signs of an abused child. "You see, we're Katie's adoptive parents." Emma grasped her husband's prosthetic hand as she recalled the details of Katie's abuse at the hands of the man who was supposed to protect her. Supposed to love her.

The officers left to go verify the information on the police system. Emma's face was wet from tears through having to talk about her daughter's trauma. Killian's jaw was locked so tightly that he felt he would have a permanent ache.

The minutes ticked by slowly for the couple, until finally Officer Stalon returned.

"We've verified the information concerning Katie's father-"

"Birth father." Killian muttered darkly. He didn't even think that man deserved any title relating to Katie, but sadly that would never change. However, Killian was her father now and forever. He wouldn't let anyone forget that.

"Yes…birth father…apologies…" The young officer seemed more on edge without his colleague by his side.

"We can see our daughter then." Emma stood up and slotted her arm through her husband's.

"Yes…" Stalon seemed to shake himself, but kept his eyes on the father. Killian couldn't help smirking proudly at the effect. "Of course. Come with me."

#

Katie remained tightly curled up in an armchair, as she had since she'd been brought in to the room. The blanket covering her wasn't as soft as her ones at home; the police-issued material felt itchy. A woman was sat with her and trying to coax her into talking. Katie had her eyes closed, focusing solely on breathing. The young girl was gripped by a strong sense of déjà vu.

 _The five-year-old shook on the end of the couch, dwarfed by the policeman's jacket around her shoulders. She had no idea what was happening, or what was going to happen to her. Her dad was gone. She didn't know if she should cry or not about that._

"Katie? That's your name isn't it, sweetie. Katie's a very pretty name."

The words were hardly making it through to Katie now. She briefly wondered how the woman knew her name. It was a fleeting thought, before she was sucked back into her memories.

 _"Katie, how did you get these bruises? Has your daddy ever hut you?"_

No, Katie wanted to shout, her daddy would never hurt her. He'd promised. Wait, but her birth father had. Those questions weren't being asked now; it was replaying from a couple of years ago.

No matter how hard Katie tried to stay in the room, listen to the woman talking now, she couldn't separate from her younger self.

When the woman talked Katie heard a different woman's voice.

" _Katie I need you to do something for me. It won't be very nice, but I promise we'll be as quick as possible."_

 _"It's almost over. Well done, darling, you're being so brave"_

 _"He's gone now. You're safe. He's never going to hurt you again."_

"Your Mommy and Daddy are here, Katie. They've come to get you."

The young girl shook her head. Her father was supposed to be in jail, she was supposed to be safe from him. And her mother... her mother had left her...or...no...she was in hospital...or...Katie was shaking at the thought that her parents had returned. They were going to take her away. Then she'd never see...

"Princess?" The voice reached her ears, the lilt sounding so familiar. Katie kept her eyes squeezed shut. Her mind was playing tricks on her. She couldn't trust what she was hearing. If she saw that no-one was there, or that her birth father had come to collect her, she didn't know what she'd do. Katie was sure she'd break.

Emma hung back as Killian gingerly approached their daughter. The mother's heart broke for her little girl, who was curled up and shaking. Her arms yearned so much to hold Katie, it was painful. Yet she forced herself to let her husband take the lead. Killian had a knack at coaxing Katie out of herself. Emma trusted him to bring their daughter back to them.

"It's me, lass. Daddy and Mommy are right here." Killian knelt down in front of his beautiful daughter, resisting the urge to stroke her before he knew that she was ready for physical touching. The smell of leather woven with her father's cologne made Katie's eyes spring open. "There's my princess." Killian smiled as her blue eyes found his own. Katie flung herself into her father's arms nearly knocking him over, but he held steady. The young girl nuzzled into his chest, breathing him in. She needed to know that he was really here. That she wasn't being taken from her family.

"I'll leave you to it." The woman who'd been looking after Katie smiled warmly at Emma before exiting the room. Katie looked up at the sound of the door closing.

"M-mommy?" The girl's uncertain whisper was enough to send Emma rushing towards her. Killian gladly relinquished his daughter to her mother's arms, knowing that his girls needed this. Emma fell to her knees as she cradled Katie against her.

"Baby, thank god you're ok." Emma paid no mind to the tears slipping from her eyes, as she breathed in her daughter. She could feel Katie's heart thumping against her, and she was sure the young girl could feel hers too. "You really scared us."

"Aye, lass, never do that again." Killian stroked his daughter's back, attempting to calm his own racing nerves.

"I-I'm s-sorry." Katie leaned back to look at both of her parents. She knew that they would be worried about her, but seeing the intensity of the fear in their eyes still shocked her.

"Sssh. You're safe now." Emma carded her fingers through Katie's hair, as the young girl muffled her cries against her mother's neck.

"We found you." Killian met Emma's eyes over their daughter's head and winked. "Wherever you are, we will always find you."

"Should I warn my dad that you're moving in on his catchphrase?" Emma teased, relishing the light giggle that came from the girl on her lap.

"I'm sure Dave wouldn't mind me using it now. It is for his granddaughter after all." Killian reached over and caught a tear as it fell from his wife's eye.

"Speaking of Prince Charming's granddaughter, I think she's losing her fight with sleep." Emma kissed her daughter's head as Katie's breathing became even softer against her skin.

"She's certainly had a trying time." Killian leaned forward to take in the sight of the peaceful angel before him.

"I'll go see if there's any paperwork we need to sign before we go." Emma gently manoeuvred Katie back into her husband's arms. The couple shared a sweet kiss before Emma left to track down one of the officers. The pirate moved to the armchair that Katie had previously occupied.

Killian stared down at the beautiful princess curled up on his lap. He counted every eyelash that fluttered as she dreamed. He traced the curve of her nose. Noted the parting of her lips, which quivered softly with each passing breath. Her gorgeous brown waves which splayed over his shoulder. Closing his eyes, the father lost himself to the feel of his daughter's chest inflating against his side.

Katie started to murmur, obviously reacting to something in her dream. Killian pressed shushes to his daughter's forehead before he began to sing softly.

"If you ever awake

In the mirror of a bad dream

And for a fraction of a second,

You can't remember where you are

Just open your window

And follow your memories upstream

To the meadow in the mountain

Where we counted every falling star"

Emma had signed the documents that were required, and had also requested the name of a local Bed and Breakfast. It was late (well early) and they were all exhausted, most of all Katie. She decided that they would sleep in a room for a while before going to see Miss Taylor; if that was still Katie's choice. The blonde made her way back to her family, coming to a stop outside the door as her husband's voice hit her ears. Emma knew Killian had a gorgeous voice; having caught him singing to her when he thought that she was asleep. Hearing him sing to their daughter though, was an even better experience.

"I believe the light that shines on you

Will shine on you forever

And though I can't guarantee there's nothing scary hidin' under your bed

I'm gonna stand guard

Like the postcard of the golden retriever

And never leave 'til I leave you

With a sweet dream in your head"

Killian smiled as Katie relaxed once more and her fitful murmurs were reduced to contented sighs. He knew his wife was watching him just out of sight; Killian could always sense when his true love was close. However, he didn't acknowledge her hiding place. Nor did he stop. Simply chuckled lightly to himself before continuing into the chorus.

"I'm gonna watch you shine

Gonna watch you grow

Gonna paint a sign

So you always know

As long as one and one is two

There could never be a father who loves his daughter more than I love you."

Killian basked in the moment a few seconds longer, before turning and beckoning to his wife. Emma subtly dabbed at her eyes as she approached her husband.

"That was…" Emma breathed out, not knowing how to describe the emotions she felt right now.

"A one-time thing?" Killian smirked up at the blonde.

"Definitely not." Emma shoved Killian's free shoulder when he raised a mischievous eyebrow. "Come on, Captain, I've managed to find us a place to rest our heads for bit."

"Well then by all means, lead on Swan." Killian rearranged his sleeping daughter so that he could stand. Immediately Katie's arms went around her father's neck. Both parents smiled at the gesture before they made their way out to the car. They both knew that meeting Katie's birth mother would be a strain on all of them; but as long as they were together they could face it. They could face anything.


	14. Chapter 14

"Are you sure about this, princess?" Killian held Katie's hand in his own as they made their way up the steps to the hospital. Emma was walking ahead of them, intent on getting this over with as quick as possible.

"Mmhmm." Katie hummed. The young girl was scared, that was obvious. She was about to come face to face with her birth mother for the first time since she was 3 years old.

"That a girl." Killian beamed with pride at how far his daughter had come. Still, he had to make sure that this is what she wanted. Killian bent down so that he and Katie were on the same level. "You know if you change your mind, that's alright. At any time. It doesn't matter if we've only been in there for a minute or an hour, ok?"

"Ok." Katie whispered as she laid a kiss on her father's cheek.

"Right, my brave little lass. Let's go." Killian winked and straightened back up. Katie kept her hand in her father's as they entered the hospital. Emma was talking to the receptionist, clearly trying to find out where Rebecca Taylor was.

"I've already told you. My daughter is Miss Taylor's daughter. We were told she wants to see Katie." Emma knew that she was probably taking out her emotions on the wrong person. The situation that they'd found themselves in wasn't this woman's fault. However, it did feel good to raise her voice.

"I want to know what your relationship is with Miss Taylor." The receptionist asked in confusion, "Were you and Miss Taylor…um…previously together?"

"No. I've never met her." Emma growled out in frustration. "Look. I'm Katie's adoptive mother and Miss Taylor-"

"Is her birth mother? Now I see." The receptionist finally relented and called a porter over to show them to the room. "I would suggest, in the future, making it clear from the start that you're not a blood relative of Miss Taylor's or Katie's. Relations, and especially genetics, are important in a hospital." The woman had taken an obvious disliking to Emma, probably due to how the blonde had addressed her. The receptionist beckoned the next in line forward, not giving Emma a chance to reply. Not that the saviour had anything to say to that last comment.

"Swan-" Killian reached out his prosthetic hand towards his wife, keeping his real hand tightly grasped in Katie's.

"Come on." Emma stepped out of her husband's reach and followed the porter to the elevator. She steadfastly avoided Killian's attempts at eye contact; both during the ride up to Rebecca's floor, and the walk to her room. Once there, Emma breathed a sigh of relief as Killian turned his sole attention on Katie. Emma did the same. Their daughter was the reason why they were here, and she deserved that they give her everything to support her.

"We're going to give you some privacy. Call us if you need anything." The porter smiled as he opened the door for them, before walking back down the hall.

"Still ok to do this?" Emma half-wished for Katie to back out. The blonde certainly didn't feel prepared to come face to face with this woman. However, Katie took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and nodded. If her seven-year-old daughter could face her birth mother, than Emma could sure as hell be by her side.

"Shall we?" Killian tried once more to make eye contact with his stubborn wife, which was unsuccessful. He shook his head slightly and led Katie into the room. Emma followed behind them.

Katie gasped at the sight of her birth mother. She wasn't sure what she had expected to see. Rebecca Taylor's skin was tinged yellow and sagged on a body which was devoid of any fat. The woman looked closer to dead than alive, and Killian suddenly thought that maybe they'd gotten here too late. This theory was disproved when the woman's eyes slowly opened.

"Who are…? Miss Taylor clearly hadn't spoken in a while. Her question faltered when she laid her eyes on Katie. The young girl fought hard not to tremble under her gaze. "Katie?"

Katie nodded her head and took a few steps forward, keeping her hand grasped tightly in her father's. Emma hung back by the door.

"I can't believe you came." The woman's breathing was already laboured. This clearly wouldn't be a long conversation; which suited everyone fine. Rebecca stared at her for a few more moments, before turning to Killian. "Who are you?"

"I'm Katie's father." Killian stared the woman down, as if daring her to refute that fact. Rebecca blinked a few times in surprise, clearly knowing that this wasn't her ex-partner. The woman then shrugged in a sort-of unbothered acceptance.

"Well, at least Nick ain't a hard act to follow." Rebecca snorted slightly and winked at Killian. The father couldn't believe it. Was she actually making light of his daughter's trauma? His blood boiled at the thought. Katie's small hand tightened in his; it was the only reason Killian wasn't tearing into this woman. "You must have been relieved. Knowing it'd be hard to screw up that bad."

"What?" Killian bit out.

"D'you like your new dad?" Rebecca leaned up in her bed. Th woman had clearly chosen to ignore Killian's anger.

Katie shrunk further against her father's leg.

"What's the matter?" Rebecca frowned down at the girl. "Cat got ya tongue?"

"Katie doesn't talk to strangers." Killian wrapped his daughter closer to his side. He rested his prosthetic hand on top of her head.

"Since when?" Realisation dawned on Miss Taylor's face as she eyed the two standing closer to her. Emma remained at the back of the room, watching the exchange with rising anger. "Oh, so that's something good then."

"Why you-" Killian started towards the woman, but stopped at the absence of a little hand in his. He turned just in time to see Katie run out of the room.

"Go after her." Emma spoke for the first time since they'd seen Rebecca. Killian nodded his head, throwing one more deadly glare towards the ill woman, before leaving the way his daughter did.

"I could never teach that girl how good the quiet was." Rebecca sighed as she leaned back against the pillows. "Hardly seems fair."

"Don't you dare talk about fair." Emma crossed her arms and leant against the wall opposite the bed. Rebecca seemed to only now register the blonde's presence.

"So who are you, like her social worker or something?" She couldn't have sounded less disinterested.

"No." Emma pushed herself off the wall. "I'm her mother."

"Really?" Rebecca scoffed. "Shame he isn't single."

"Why did you reach out to Katie? Why did you want her to come see you?" Emma eyed the woman curiously, skipping over the comment about Killian's availability.

"Do I need a reason to see my own daughter?"

"When you abandoned her for over half her life, you do." Emma grasped the bottom railings of the hospital bed.

"I'm her mother, is that a good enough reason?" The woman showed her first sign of negative emotion. The first crack in what Emma could see was a false façade.

"Couldn't you have just left her alone? She was happy…she is happy." Emma's knuckles turned white from how hard she was gripping the metal.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand." Rebecca laid heavily back into her pillows and closed her eyes. The conversation was clearly taking its toll on the dying woman. Emma couldn't manage to muster up much sympathy.

"Try me."

"When you give birth to a child…like me with Katie…you can't forget them. You can't move one." Rebecca breathed out in a voice which had become even more strained since they'd arrived. "It's a bond, you know? One you wouldn't get unless you've had it. Like I said," the woman opened her eyes to lock with Emma's, "I'm her mother.

"You may have given birth to her, but she's my daughter." Emma's gaze flared and the bed rattled under her shaking hands. "You left her. The number one rule of being a mother is that you can't ever leave."

#

Luckily Katie hadn't run far. She'd stopped at the end of the corridor. Her parents would never let her get far; not that Katie wanted to get away from them.

"Katie!" Killian called as he jogged up to his daughter. Katie turned around and slammed into him. Killian didn't mind that he was currently crouched in the middle of the floor. He paid no mind to the nurses who seemed to be melting at the exchange. He simply held his little girl in his arms. "You hungry, princess?" Killian spied a vending machine next to a small vacant waiting area.

Katie nodded and stepped back to dry her eyes. Killian straightened and took his daughter's hand in his own.

"If only all dads were like that." One nurse gushed to her colleague. If only, Killian mused as they walked past the nurses station.

Katie chose pop tarts, of course, and Killian got a packet of Maltesers.

"Do you want to leave? We can if you want us too, remember?" Killian sat down next to his daughter, glad that they had some semblance of privacy.

"I don't know." Katie bit her lip. "It's just..." She suddenly found the foil packaging of her snack very interesting.

"Just what, lass?"

"I just remembered her as...um...nicer." Katie shrugged her shoulders. "It's silly."

"It's not silly at all." Killian tapped her free hand with his prosthetic, Katie shifted so that her fingers could hold onto it. "Memories aren't always reliable. Especially of us those close to us. We remember what we want to remember. I told you about my parents, right?"

"Yes." Katie's expression became even graver.

"Well all of the memories I have of my father are bad ones. I know that it wasn't always bad, but my negative emotions have forced out any happy ones. My brother, Liam, used to try to explain this to me. Back then I was too stubborn in my anger to listen. The same as how every thought of my mother fills me with light. I can't remember a single bad thing about her, but that doesn't mean there wasn't any. Everyone has good and bad inside of them; what matters is what they choose to be." Killian nudged Katie's side so that she'd look up at him. "Does that make sense?"

"I think so." Katie took a small bite of one of her pop tarts. "It's weird because she's not my mom. Not anymore." Killian smiled encouragingly at his daughter's words. "I think I saw her as nice cause I only had…had him...to…um…"

"To compare her too?" Killian bristled anytime Katie's father came up in conversation, which wasn't often, but he put his feelings aside. This was important for his daughter to say.

"Yeah. But now I have mommy, who is actually nice, my birth mom doesn't seem nice anymore." Katie was speaking as if to herself, as if she was having a great personal revelation, so Killian kept quiet. However, the little girl turned to him, obviously expecting his input.

"That makes sense, lass, that makes a lot of sense." Killian lifted his arm so that Katie snuggle against his side; she do so whilst keeping her hand tightly gripping his prosthetic. They sat there in silence for a while, eating their food and watching the nurses going about their business.

"Is mommy mad at me?" Katie's soft whisper brought Killian back from his own thoughts.

"Why would you say that?" Killian shifted slightly so that he could look at his daughter's face.

"She seems mad." Katie began playing with the zip of her father's leather jacket. There was a slight glisten of tears in her eyes

"Oh princess, I promise you mommy isn't mad at you." Killian lifted his hand, free since he'd finished off his Maltesers, and tucked her hair behind her ear. Katie looked at him with a sort of sceptical hopefulness; a look which he commonly saw in Emma's eyes. "She just loves you so much, more than anything, and she doesn't want to lose you. You see, when your mother is scared, her walls go up."

"Mommy's not scared of anything." Katie wrinkled her nose at the notion.

"She's scared of losing the people she loves. You know why I know this?" Killian stroked Katie's cheek with his thumb. The little girl slowly shook her head to answer his question. "Because I hold the same fear. It's a common one to have. And people deal with fear differently."

"You're not going to lose me." Katie's voice was determined even as tears slipped down her cheeks.

"I know." Killian caught the liquid as it splashed onto his thumb. "And deep down, mommy knows that too." He wished that Emma had heard this conversation. Had heard how his daughter spoke of her.

"I want to tell her." Katie looked back down at the half-eaten pop tart in her lap. "I just… don't know how."

"Just tell her the truth. Like what you've just told me." Killian untangled his arms from his daughter so that he could stand up. He held out his hand and Katie took it, using it as leverage to stand also. "Your heart will always guide you true. Listen to it, and you'll know what to do."

#

"You're right. I left. I'm not pretending that I didn't." Rebecca opened her eyes again, but remained slumped in her bed.

"How could you? How could you leave her with him?" Emma stared at the woman who claimed to care about her daughter.

"It's complicated."

"No it's not. Whatever your reasons for leaving, you left Katie alone with that...that man." Emma spat out, feeling her emotions raging inside her. If they were in Storybrooke, or some place with magic, right now lights would be exploding and objects sent flying.

"I didn't know how bad it would get." Rebecca shrugged her shoulders, feigning nonchalance. But Emma could see the guilt in her eyes. "Nick rarely hurt her before I left-"

"Rarely?! The word should be never. A parent should never hurt their child." Emma pushed herself away from the bed, choosing to pace the room instead.

"In a perfect world, yes." Rebecca muttered under her breath. The damage this woman bore was clear to see, but being damaged doesn't give you the right to invoke more damage onto others. "I have, and would, never hurt her. Katie's my daughter-"

"No she's not, she's mine!" Emma stopped her pacing and turned on the woman. "And after this you're not going anywhere near her!"

"I think-"

"No you don't get to talk. You listen." Emma snarled as she walked towards the woman. The blonde leaned in until she was a breath away from Rebecca's face. "I will not let you take my daughter away from me." Emma rested her hand on the bed, purposely close to the woman's IV. Rebecca's eyes widened in fear as Emma's fingers twisted around the tube.

"Emma!" Killian noticed his wife's movements. He recognised the pain in her eyes. He knew she wanted to hurt this woman; not kill her, just cause her pain. He refused to allow her to do anything of the sort, especially after hearing Katie's love-born words for her mother.

"Killian...I..." Emma straightened immediately at the sound of her husband's voice.

"Ssh love. It's alright." Killian met her in the middle of the room and took her hand in his own.

"Where's Katie?" Emma looked around hurriedly, her heart in her mouth.

"She's waiting outside the door. She wants to talk to her mother." Killian smiled at Emma's expression; it was the same sceptical hopefulness that Katie had had earlier. Anyone who said that these two weren't mother and daughter needed their heads checked. His princesses were so alike. "Go on, Swan. I'll keep an eye on her."

"If that's the case, don't hurry back." Rebecca tried a saucy wink. Which would have looked much better if she hadn't been overcome by a coughing fit. Emma rolled her eyes at the woman.

"Ok." The blonde gave her true love a quick kiss on the cheek, before going to find her daughter.

"If she...wants her mother..." Rebecca's wheezes made her seem even more pitiful. "I'm right...here."

"Just because biology says someone is a mother, it doesn't make them one." Killian's voice was cold as he sat in the chair in the corner of the room. Not giving Rebecca any more attention, Killian picked up the book he'd gotten from the waiting room and begun to read.

#

As soon as Emma stepped into the hallway, she was encompassed by two small arms around her waist.

"Hey sweetie." Emma ran her hands through Katie's hair, whilst the girl's face nuzzled her stomach.

Katie pulled away and smiled softly, though Emma could see that she'd been crying. The seven-year-old took her mother's hand and led her towards the chairs which she had sat on with her father.

"Daddy said you wanted to talk to me?" Emma asked rather reluctantly. A part of her was worried that Katie had meant her birth mother instead.

"I do." Katie sat sideways on her chair, so that she was facing her mother. Their hands were still connected.

"What is it?" Emma sucked in a deep breath to prepare herself. She'd never heard her daughter sound so serious before. So determined to be listened to.

"I…" Katie couldn't think of a time where so much relied on her speaking the right words. Emma gave her daughter an encouraging nod and squeeze of her hand. "I know you're scared. Scared about losing me." The blonde's breath caught at the little girl's whisper. Katie tore her eyes away from the tear-filled green ones looking at her. Had she done something wrong? Maybe she shouldn't have said anything. Had she got it wrong? No, her dad had said exactly the same. And if he couldn't read her mom, then no-one could.

"Baby, I-" Emma breathed out as a tear slipped silently past her lashes.

"You shouldn't be." Katie's vision was blurred by liquid when she raised her gaze back to her mother. "She had me, but I'm yours. Your m-my… my mommy." Both girls had tears streaming down their cheeks by this point. Emma didn't know what to say. The blonde wrapped her sweet girl in her arms, manoeuvring Katie into her lap. The seven-year-old nuzzled into her mother's embrace. Neither of them minded that the other was crying onto their skin.

#

Killian had put on a good show of reading from his book. So good, in fact, that Miss Taylor had gotten bored and fallen asleep. Truthfully, he hadn't taken in a single word. Now that he was alone with the woman, he couldn't stop comparing her to the first person that he'd seen lost to an illness. His mother. Although Killian was but four at the time, he still remembered the events of his mother's passing.

 _Young Killian walked hand-in-hand with his brother towards the thatch-roofed house at the edge of the village. It was to the local healer's, where their mother was being treated. Both boys couldn't wait to see her. It was hard for any child to be away from a parent, especially their mother. It had been almost a month since they'd seen her. Too long for all involved._

 _The older woman opened the door as the children walked down her front path. Liam Jones registered the look on her face. A look that told her to expect the worst. Killian was too young to receive any such warning from facial expressions alone. The child was left completely unprepared for what he was about to see._

 _Alice Jones. Once a stunning girl with auburn hair, creamy skin and blue eyes which glinted with dreams of adventures in far-off places. Now a woman who was left with a few measly strands of hair, almost-translucent skin and dull eyes sunken into her haggard face. Those eyes still shone, ever-so-slightly, at the sight of her children. She didn't know how long she had been away; the days were starting to blend together. The illness was causing her to sleep more and more as time passed._

 _"_ _Mama!" Killian cried and flung himself towards his mother. Liam tried to stop him, knowing that his mother was probably too weak to deal with this. He was too slow, however, and his little brother landed on the woman with a thump._

 _"_ _Killian…" Liam admonished as he attempted to extract his brother. Alice shook her head and pressed her lips to her youngest's forehead. "Sorry, mama. I tried to tell him, but.."_

 _Alice sent him a reassuring smile. Her Liam had always been older than his years; too old sometimes. The young lad had taken on the responsibility of caring for herself and Killian ever since the latter's birth. She'd wanted more for him. She wished he could have stayed a care-free child, like he's supposed to be at his age. And now she was leaving this world, the world of the living. And she knew Liam would bear the burden of being his younger brother's guardian. If Alice had the strength, she would use her last breath to take the life of Brennan Jones. Her husband. A man whose hardened liver and penchant for gambling had once excited her. Oh, how naïve she had been. It was not long into their marriage when she realised the truth. Brennan Jones's antics would ruin her. But so would leaving him. She'd be disgraced. Her and Liam; who was a new-born at this time. Leaving had been out of the question, as Alice would not do that to her child. Now she wondered if she made the right decision. But if she'd left, then she wouldn't have her Killian. Her sweet, little boy snuggled up to her chest._

 _"_ _I miss you." Killian whined with an adorable pout._

 _"_ _I love you…both." Alice breathed out, in a voice so quiet that Liam nearly missed it. The woman locked her eyes with her oldest son's. In that moment they both knew, that this was it. Alice didn't have to ask Liam to stay with his little brother. She knew that he would. Where Liam got such a strong sense of duty from baffled her. Alice just wished that she could trust Brennan to step up now and be the father their sons needed._

 _"_ _When you coming back?" Killian shifted so that was up on his knees on the mattress. The boy laid his hands on his mother's cheeks; a gesture which she commonly did to both her sons. Alice closed her eyes at the question. She was too weak to talk, unable to answer her son's question. "Why are you crying?" Killian turned to his older brother, his anchor. The young boy's eyes welled with tears at seeing Liam's cheeks as wet as their mother's._

 _"_ _Killian, mama isn't…" Liam choked out before taking a deep breath. The boy squared his shoulder's and began again. "Remember when I told you that mama was sick."_

 _"_ _Yes." Killian crawled off the bed to go to his brother, who was sat in a wooden chair at his mother's side. "You said she came here to get better."_

 _"_ _I did. But sometimes people can't be helped." Liam bit his cheek hard. He had to be strong. His mother needed him to be. "Killy, mama isn't going to get better."_

 _"_ _You're wrong!" Killian shouted as his face turned red from anger as well as tears. He turned back to his mother for confirmation. His mother was completely still. "Mama?" Killian felt Liam's arms go around him, preventing him for going to his mother. "Let go! Mama!" The young boy wasn't strong enough to fight off his older brother._

 _"_ _It's alright, Killian." Liam whispered through his own tears. The healer came in at the noise, noticing the dead woman on the bed. She didn't say anything. She simply walked over and pulled the sheet over Alice Jones's face. Killian's shouts turned to anguished sobs as he realised the truth. His mother was gone. And she was never coming back. The young boy collapsed onto his brother's chest. "I'm here, Killian. I will always be here."_

Killian ran a hand over his face at the memory of his mother's passing. It may have been centuries ago, and he a mere four years old at the time, but it still hurt. It's what made Katie's distressing childhood that much worse. Wounds that are made when you're young tend to linger. He just hoped that his daughter could keep taking positive steps away from her past. With his and Emma's continued support, he was certain that Katie would thrive.

Deciding that he and his family had spent quite enough time exposed to a dying woman's manipulations, Killian went in search of his girls. The ache in his heart faded away at the sight of Katie curled up in Emma's lap. Sure they were both crying, but he could tell by the content smiles on their faces that all was well once more.

"Hey, everything ok?" Emma looked up at her husband's approach, not before to wipe away her tears. Katie also lifted her head in his direction.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that, love?" Killian smiled all the same. "But yes, since you ask, everything's fine. How's it all going out here?"

"We're good." Emma rested her cheek on top of her daughter's head. She chuckled softly when her stomach rumbled. "Well apart from being hungry, that is."

"Oh, I forgot." Katie jumped up and walked to her father. Killian placed the packet in her hand without her having to ask for it. "Daddy got me Pop Tarts. I saved you one."

"Thank you, sweetie." Emma took the offered treat, blinking back tears at the sweet gesture. She'd cried enough for today. They all probably had. Her eyes closed on an appreciative moan at her first bite. "This is exactly what I needed." While Emma enjoyed her snack, Killian crouched down to be level with his daughter.

"Your birth mother's asleep." Killian took Katie's hand in his own when her expression sobered at his words. "What d'you want to do, princess? We can leave now or we can stay if you want." Katie bit her lip at the question. She honestly didn't think she could see that woman again; at least not today.

"Leave, please." Katie shrugged her shoulders, trying to make it seem like it wasn't as important to her as it was. Killian knew his daughter by now, though. He straightened up to standing, and Emma did the same.

"You know, I think there's a burger place on the way back to the motel." Killian suggested as the three of them walked out of the hospital, hand-in-hand with Katie in the middle. "Or we could order pizza when we get back. What d'you think?" Emma and Katie turned to each other, nodded and then both looked to Killian.

"Pizza." The girls said in unison with matching grins.

"Pizza, it is." Killian chuckled as he held the hospital doors open for his two princesses. He felt lighter than he had in days. Meeting Katie's birth mother had been a challenge, but they'd survived it. And their bonds were stronger than ever. The little family would be ready for whatever the world decided to throw at them. Although, Killian mused as Emma and Katie wandered slightly ahead of him in conversation, it would be nice to have some longer quiet moments to enjoy their life with Katie. They were certainly long overdue.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Hey so that was a** **ridiculously** **long, completely unplanned, 3-month hiatus. And I'm so so sorry. Basically my physical and mental health have taken knock after knock these past couple of months; leaving me in either in too much pain, too** **exhausted** **, or just with no motivation to write. This isn't me trying to gain attention, I just wanted to explain my absence.**_

 _ **Anyways, I've finally written this chapter (yay) and I hope it's not too rubbish. I've tried to touch it up as it was really disjointed, seeing as it has been written in small sections over the past few months when I've felt up to it.**_

 _ **Hopefully there are those of you out there who still want to read this story, cause I definitely want to keep writing it. Just to let you know the reviews, along with the follows/favourites/pms, on this story are what kept me going with it so thank you guys so much.**_

 ** _Now, enough about me, on with the next installment of Happy Endings. Hope you like it :)_**

 _Princess Emma of Misthaven leant against the edge of the Jolly Roger with a wide smile gracing her lips. Her husband, the fearsome Captain Hook, was assisting their daughter in steering the ship. Katie bit her lip in avid concentration at her task. Killian threw a wink over his shoulder at his wife, before returning to his best ever first mate. Emma rubbed her hand over her rounded stomach, feeling the little pirate inside her wiggling to escape; excited to join in the family fun._

 _Emma is about to reassure the child that they'll get their chance soon enough, when a strange repetitive tune broke through the peaceful waves. She recognised it as her ringtone. How did she know that was her ringtone? She didn't have a phone. How did she even know what a phone was?_

Emma's eyes shoot open to the semi-darkness of an unfamiliar room. It takes her a second to register her husband's warmth at her back. Another second for her to realise that she'd returned to reality from her dream. A really good dream. Emma brushed her hand on her flat stomach and shook her head; her dreams definitely needed to come to terms with the whole never getting pregnant thing.

"Swan..." Killian growled his frustration in Emma's ear. If it was too early for the pirate captain to be awoken, then it was definitely too early for her. However, the phone kept ringing. And it would keep ringing until someone answered it.

"Hello?" Emma whispered groggily into her phone; cautious of the sleeping girl in the bed next to them.

" _Hello, is this Mrs Jones? I'm calling from the hospital_." The woman's voice was far too loud for this time of the morning. Emma didn't even register being referred to as 'Mrs Jones'.

"Huh?" Emma rubbed her eyes and extracted herself from the bed.

" _This is in regards to Miss Rebecca Taylor_." The woman's tone caused Emma to gulp hard. She sat down on the small table in the living area. " _I'm sorry to say, Mrs Jones, that Miss Taylor passed away a couple of hours ago_."

"She...what?" Emma's mouth felt dry as her eyes landed on Katie; so peaceful in her slumber.

" _Miss Taylor had a rough night and passed away in the early hours of this morning_." Her voice was patient as she repeated her previous statement. " _I know this must be difficult news to hear. Do you have any questions for me at this time?_ " Emma shook her head at the question, not clocking that the woman couldn't see her. However, her silence was clearly taken as a no anyway. " _Alright then. I'll give you some time to process this. Just call the hospital back when you are ready to discuss more. I'm sorry for your loss._ "

Emma could barely choke out a goodbye before ending the call. She sat there stunned. Katie had yet to tell them whether she wanted to return to see her birth mother today or not. Now the decision was no longer hers.

"Who was it, love?" Killian's voice was muffled from where his face was squished against his pillow.

"It was...the...um..." Emma blinked, trying to catch her brain up.

"Everything alright?" Killian sat up against the headboard, worry for his Swan causing him to wake properly. He furrowed his brow as Emma kept her gaze on their daughter.

"That was the hospital. About Rebecca." Emma lifts her eyes to her husband's concerned ones. She knows he understands just what the hospital told her when Killian looks over at Katie.

"Bloody hell." Killian ran his hand over his face. He thought that they could have at least one quiet day after the trying time yesterday. But apparently the universe had other plans.

"You said it." Emma went into the kitchen to start a batch of coffee. There was no way either of them were going back to sleep now.

"Thanks." Killian accepted his mug, setting it down so that he could retrieve his flask. Emma watched the liquid pour into her husband's coffee as she re-joined him in the bed.

"Got any more where that came from?" Emma held out her mug for Killian to add his special something to. The pirate proceeded to splash a small amount of rum into his wife's coffee. They both sat there in silence, sipping their too-hot coffee and watching their sleeping angel.

After a while, Killian switched on the TV for the hopes of a distraction. He kept the volume on mute so as not to wake Katie. Emma hadn't put her contacts in yet, and in her hurry to get to her daughter she'd left her glasses at home, so the subtitles were just blurry white lines to her. Not that she'd be able to concentrate on the travel documentary that her husband had settled on anyway. She doubted that he was fully paying attention either.

Killian slung his left arm around Emma's waist and pulled his wife against his side. Emma instinctively ran her free hand over his scarred blunted stump; a loving gesture which still made Killian's heart jump, even after years of her doing it. It made the pirate melt and fall in love with his princess all over again.

Katie opened her eyes to a room which was most certainly not her bedroom. The young girl sat up suddenly but, before she could start to panic, her gaze fell on her parents not five feet away.

"Good morning, lass." Killian greeted at his daughter's sleepy smile.

"Morning, Daddy." Katie yawned as she stretched her arms up to remove any kinks from sleeping on the worn mattress.

"I'll get you some water." Killian removed his arm from around his wife and got up to fill some glasses. He laid a kiss to the top of his daughter's head as he passed her. Katie quickly moved to take her father's previous spot on the double bed.

"Hey, sweetie." Emma lifted her arm so that the young girl could snuggle against her.

"Hi, Mommy." Katie rubbed her eyes groggily before nuzzling further into her mother's side.

"Did you sleep ok?" Emma ran her hand through the daughter's messy waves, being mindful of the knots caused by sleep.

"I guess." Katie shrugged noncommittedly. Emma frowned slightly at her answer, knowing that Katie's emotions could greatly affect her ability to sleep properly. Before she could probe her daughter more on the subject, Killian returned with water for the two of them. "Thank you." Katie gulped down about a third of the drink immediately.

"You're welcome, little love." Killian sat on the bottom of the bed, opposite his wife and daughter. Emma caught his gaze and knew that they had to tell Katie about her birth mother now. She nodded her head in assent. Killian cleared his throat and rested his hand on Katie's leg. "Katie, we've got some sad news." Katie tensed at her father's words, placing her water gently down on the night stand. "The hospital called this morning. Your birth mother passed away last night." The young girl's eyes widened at the news.

"We're so sorry, baby." Emma stroked her hand up and down her daughter's arm. Both parents were watching Katie intently as she took in the information.

"Ok." Katie finally replied numbly.

"Is there anything we can do for you, princess?" Killian moved his hand up to grasp his daughter's.

"I'd like to go home now." Katie stood from the bed, forcing her parents to drop their holds on her. She went to pack up her stuff, not that she'd brought much with her in her backpack anyway.

"Ok, we can do that." Killian exchanged worried glances with Emma as they also begun to tidy up their few possessions in the room. This was a lot to take in for anyone. Especially a seven-year-old who had been through so much upheaval already. They both knew that nothing good would come from pushing Katie before she was ready.

The drive back to Storybrooke was a quiet one. Katie asked for Emma's phone so that she could listen to music, and she agreed; after making sure to switch on the parental control settings. The young girl put in headphones as soon as they got into the car, effectively shutting herself off from any potential conversation. Killian remained turned around in his seat so that he could keep watch on Katie. Every so often their eyes would meet, and Killian would feel a shimmer of hope from the connection. Until Katie would inevitably tear her gaze away from her father's, and he would feel the pit in his stomach deepen.

Pulling up to the house a few hours later, Emma closed her eyes and took some deep breaths. Forcing a smile, the blonde moved to undo her seatbelt and exit the car. A small gasp stopped her.

"Princess?" Killian gently used his hook to remove one of the earphones from his daughter's ear. Katie's eyes had blown wide when she saw her mom go to leave. The young girl reached out and grabbed her father's hook. Emma's brow furrowed in concern.

"We're home, Katie." Emma nodded towards the house. She received no reaction from her daughter. Deciding to go and check on her, Emma opened her door and left the car. Katie started to shake her head at her mother's departure. Suddenly the door to her left opened, and Emma crouched down next to her. "Look, I'm here sweetie. I'm here, ok." The young girl's eyes met Emma's, as her grip tightened on Killian's hook. "Now should we go inside, yeah?" Katie smiled softly and nodded, but didn't make any move to go. The smile fell from her face as she felt the metal slip from her grasp. Her eyes searched frantically for Killian, welling up when she found his seat empty. "Hey, it's alright. Daddy's just coming." Emma stroked her hand over Katie's leg.

"Come on then, little lass." Killian had jogged around the back of the car, anxious to get to his daughter. Emma moved over slightly so that her husband go lean in and undo their daughter's seatbelt. Katie held onto his arm where it lay across her. Killian got the hint and lifted her into his arms. As they walked towards the house, Emma stayed slightly behind them so that Katie could see her over Killian's shoulder. The young girl never broke her gaze.

"I think a movie day is in order." Emma proposed once Katie had been placed on the couch. The young girl snuggled into her father's side, relishing the steady beat of his heart under her palm. Emma got them all something to drink and joined her family.

"Excellent idea, Swan." Killian's beam didn't reach his eyes. Katie immediately lifted her legs and placed them in her mother's lap; Emma's thumb soothingly stroked her calf. It was clear that the parents were worried by Katie's sudden need to have them both in sight. However, now was not the time to broach such a sensitive issue; especially in wake of that morning's events.

About an hour into the film Katie dozed off, her emotions having physically drained her. Emma turned to her husband, who's eyes were trained on their sleeping angel.

"What are we going to do?" Emma kept her voice at a whisper, not wanting to disturb Katie's rest.

"I don't know, love." Killian replied sadly as he lifted his gaze to meet his wife. "I do think we should contact the cricket. Seeing as she missed her session this week, he might be happy to fit her in tomorrow even with it being a Saturday. I'm not happy to leave it until next Thursday."

"I agree. But what abou-" Emma's next question was cut off by their front door opening. The couple's heads whipped towards the movement, visibly relaxing when Emma's parents came into view. Emma immediately put her finger to her lips, successfully halting any loud greeting from the arrivals.

"I'll go talk to them." Emma leaned in to press a gentle kiss to her husband's cheek. "You stay with our girl." The blonde then slowly lifted Katie's legs just enough to allow her to slip from under her daughter. Katie made a slight grunt in discontent before relaxing back into her father. Emma gestured for her parents to follow her into the kitchen.

"Is everything alright?" David's hushed tones were full of concern for his family. "What happened with Katie's birth mother?" Emma had rung her parents the day before, explaining everything that had happened since Mrs Bradey's visit.

"She…um…she died." Emma still had yet to sift through her feelings on the new development. That could wait till Katie had faced hers.

"Oh, Emma." Snow gasped, enveloping her daughter in her arms. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, it's just…" Emma shrugged as she stepped back from her mother's embrace. "Actually, you know what, it isn't."

"How's Katie doing?" David looked over to where his son-in-law and granddaughter lay on the couch.

"I don't think she's really processed all of this yet." Emma ran a hand through her hair, trying to keep it together.

"Well that's understandable." Snow stroked the blonde's arm in another comforting gesture. "This is a lot for her to deal with."

"It's just… it seems like every time Katie moves forward, something happens which pulls her back." Emma raised her eyes to the ceiling in an effort to keep tears at bay.

"I know it seems like that now, Emma, but you know as well as anyone that things do get better." David could tell that his daughter was fighting to stay in control of her emotions. He understood completely.

Killian was half-listening to the whispered conversation taking place in the kitchen. He was grateful for the support of his in-laws. It meant a lot to him that he and Emma weren't alone in this. That Katie had a whole family of people to help her when she needed it.

Suddenly Katie's grip on his shirt tightened and her breaths became heavier. She was clearly having a bad dream. Or waking up to the harsh reality.

"Sssh, princess, it's alright." Killian leaned down to press a kiss to his daughter's forehead. Katie's eyes fluttered open at the gesture. She immediately locked her tearful gaze with her father's. "It's going to be alright." Killian ran his hook through her brown waves to soothe her. The young girl seemed to relax slightly at his words and ministrations.

Katie's thoughts were a complete jumble. They were like silver wisps in her mind, constantly swirling and drifting out of her reach. Only one of them was more solid, more obtainable. Her birth mother was dead. She had left the same world that she had brought Katie into. Shouldn't that fill her with sadness? Katie wasn't certain how she felt, but she knew that sadness wasn't as high on her list of emotions as it should be. Maybe it would have been all of those months ago. Before her parents had found her. When Rachel was the only mother she had ever known. Now it was just complicated.

"I don't want you worrying on your own, lass. You know you can talk to me. I'm always here for you, whatever you need." Killian could see his daughter was struggling. And he hated it.

"I…" Katie adjusted herself so that she was sitting more upright. Her eyes landed on her mom talking to her grandparents in the kitchen. Emma had her back to her so she had no idea that her daughter had woken up, let alone was longing for her. Killian followed the girl's gaze to the rest of their family.

"Mommy will always be there for you as well." The pirate understood what Katie's look meant. Her separation anxiety was still in full force. And she needed both her parents.

Katie turned at her father's words, hoping he wasn't hurt that she wanted her mom as well. All she saw was a deep love and understanding. Katie bit her lip as she once again cast her gaze to the others.

"Emma, could you come in here please." Killian called out when his daughter didn't do it herself. He knew that Katie had problems with asking for help and comfort when she needed it; yet another trait she shared with Emma.

The blonde stood immediately, leaving her parents mid-sentence, and went over to the couch. Emma's face softened at the sight of her daughter, now awake.

"Hey sweetie." Emma squatted down in front of the couch. Katie threw her arms around her mother's neck as Emma hugged her waist. Killian continued running his hook through Katie's hair. The mother could feel Katie's harsh breaths against her shoulder. "Oh baby, it's ok. You're ok."

The grandparents walked slowly closer to the family, silently watching their embrace. David put his arm around his wife's shoulders. They both wished to hold their granddaughter, but for now they settled with each other.

It was a few minutes before Katie pulled back from her mother. Emma cupped her daughter's cheeks in her hands, stroking with her thumbs. The young girl sighed softly as she leaned back against her father.

"Your grandparents have come to see you, princess. They want to check that you're alright." Killian leant his head on top of Katie's, who was resting her cheek on his shoulder. Feeling the girl tense slightly he lowered his voice to a whisper. "If you don't want to see them now, that's ok. They'll understand." The young girl shook her head at that suggestion. Of course she wanted to see her grandparents. Right now Katie needed all the people she cared about with her. Cause that way nothing bad would happen to them. And she'd know if they decided to leave. She'd be there to stop them going.

"Hi." Katie's shy greeting caused a smile to appear on all the adults' faces.

"Hi sweetie." Snow sat down on the armchair closest to the couch, with her husband perching next to her.

"We missed you." David had gotten used to his afternoons with Neal and Katie, they were a part of his routine that he looked forward to the most. "Neal has been asking about you since Wednesday. I promised that you'd come play with him soon, when you were feeling better."

Katie's eyes widened at the thought that all of these people genuinely missed her. She knew that her parents would worry about her when she ran away. She didn't think that anyone else would even notice that she was gone.

"How's everything looking at the station?" Emma sat back down on the couch, immediately placing Katie's legs on her lap once more. She'd asked her father to check in on the station for them the day before. The Storybrooke crime scene may be a quiet one nowadays, but that didn't mean they could leave the town without any law enforcement.

"Everything's fine. There was a noise complaint due to the dwarfs taking full advantage of Granny's happy hour, but nothing serious." David shook his head at the memory of bestowing warnings to a very hungover Leroy earlier that day. Killian barked out a laugh as Emma rolled her eyes. Katie had tuned out of the adults' conversation; an action she soon regretted as there was now nothing to distract herself from her thoughts.

"So the usual then." Emma wondered when the dwarfs would decide to settle down and hang up their drinking habits. She doubted it would be in the near future.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Snow got up and went to fetch her handbag from the kitchen. The movement of her grandmother jolted Katie's mind back into the living room. It was hard for her to concentrate on her family with the pounding in her head. Emma glanced at her father in question, but he simply shrugged his shoulders. The prince didn't know what his wife was talking about either.

"Alexandra asked about you at this morning's recess." Snow began to explain as she re-entered the room. Katie's brow furrowed at the statement. "She was worried because you'd missed three days of school, and she wanted to know if you were ok." The grandmother held an envelope in her hand, which she held out towards Katie. The young girl simply stared at the object. "Alexandra gave me this to give to you." Katie's brain was having difficulty deciphering what this meant. She didn't know what to say or do. So she decided to do nothing.

"That's nice of her." Emma broke the silence and took the offered card from her mother. She could tell that this was all getting too much for Katie; who had only just accepted the concept that her parents truly cared about her.

"Aye, she's a sweet little lass." Killian smiled at the thoughtful gesture. He was so glad that Alexandra had become Katie's friend. They were good for each other.

David and Snow ended up staying for dinner, seeing as Neal was at a sleepover. They ordered pizza and ate it in the living room, seeing as they were all comfortable there. Katie nibbled at a slice of pizza for over an hour, before giving up and laying down fully with her head in her father's lap.

The grandparents left not long after, saying that Katie deserved to sleep in quiet. Neither Killian or Emma admitted what they knew. That their daughter wasn't actually asleep, even though her eyes were closed.

"Time for bed princess." Killian said, once the door had closed behind his in-laws.

"Don't want to." Katie opened her pleading eyes to her parents.

"Why not, baby?" Emma held her daughter's hand in her own, using her free one to stroke Katie's leg.

"Want to stay with you." Katie mumbled, too desperate to care how vulnerable she sounded. "Don't leave me." Killian's heart broke for his little girl. He pulled her up so that she was sitting completely on his lap, with her head resting on his shoulder.

"We would never leave you, Katie." Emma fought to blink back tears at just how lost Katie looked. She cast her gaze to her husband, and they had one of their silent conversations. "What if you slept with Mommy and Daddy, tonight? Would you like that?"

Katie nodded her head at the suggestion. She felt exhausted, but hadn't wanted to plunge into a world made up of just her thoughts. Not on her own. At least this way she would have her parents to protect her. To comfort her.

"Well that settles it then." Killian lifted himself and Katie off the couch, the young girl's arms wrapped around his neck. Emma led the way to their bedroom. They laid down with Katie tightly cocooned between them.

#

The next morning, they went to see Archie as soon as his office opened. The cricket had agreed to shuffle some appointments around to fit Katie in first thing. She was nervous. As were her parents.

The session started the same as always; with the three of them sitting down on the couch, where whiteboards and pens had been laid out in front of them. Katie didn't always need to write down her answers anymore, but it was there as a safety blanket if she chose not to speak.

"How are you today, Katie?" Archie leant forward in a sympathetic gesture. All three adults looked to Katie for an answer. An answer to a very hard question at present.

Katie simply shrugged.

"Remember whatever you say here, it's ok. Anything that you're feeling right now is justified." Archie tried to elicit more of a response from his patient. Yet again, all he received was a shrug. "Would it help to write down what you're feeling?" This time there was no answer given at all. "Is this because it's too hard to put your emotions into words? Or that you don't know what you're feeling?"

Katie bit her lip when the man basically hit the nail on the head. How could she answer this question, or any for that matter, with the whirlwind in her head? She could barely hear the outside voices, let alone form an acceptable response.

Emma and Killian shared a concerned glance over their daughter's head. It was as if all of her progress was steadily diminishing. Not all of it, Killian thought as he looked down at where Katie was clasping both of their hands. At least she wasn't pulling away from them. Not yet, Emma thought before dismissing that pessimistic view.

"OK, why don't we start with something else then." Archie finally gave up on getting any response to his first question. "Do you want to talk about what it has been like these past few days." This time the cricket did receive an answer. Just not one he had been hoping for.

Katie shook her head slowly. She definitely did not want to talk about everything that had happened. It was all her fault, after all. She ran away. It was her idea to go to New York. It was her birth mother who had upset everyone. And she'd died after finally seeing Katie again. That couldn't have been a coincidence. There was no such thing.

"Are you sure, Katie? I think it would help to look into meeting your birth mother, after so long without her." Archie tried to be as gentle as he could be, but he wouldn't be successful at his job if he didn't gently push his patients.

Katie bit her lip, pondering what to do to make Archie understand. To make him stop talking. To make this all go away. Her eyes fell on the piece of coloured card on the table. She hadn't ever used it in one of these sessions before. Katie quickly ripped her hands from her parents grasps, reaching forward to flip over the card on the table, displaying the red side instead of the green. Effectively shutting off this, and all other, lines of questioning from the therapist. All in one breath. The young girl scrunched her eyes shut, not willing to see the disappointment in Archie's eyes. Even worse, in her parent's eyes.

Emma and Killian shared a worried look over their daughter's head.

"Ok, Katie. We won't discuss it any longer." Archie smiled sadly at his patient, whose eyes remained closed. "You take your time, Katie. And when you're ready, we'll move on to something else."

The minutes dragged on as the adults sat in wait for a sign from Katie. Something to signal that she was ready to continue. It never came.

Katie's mind was thumping. Every time she even thought about opening her eyes, the image of her parents disappointed faces stopped her. There was no way she could continue this session. But how could she tell them that? They may see no need to keep trying to help her if she was giving up. Katie didn't think that she was giving up. She just needed a break. She needed to feel like she could breathe properly again.

"I think we should call it a day, don't you?" Killian asked the cricket once ten minutes had passed. He looked to Emma who nodded her head, tears building in her eyes. "We all could do with a break. Especially Katie." The young girl finally opened her eyes at her father's words. It was as if he had read her mind. She wondered if she'd ever get used to how easily he understood her. Both her parents seemed to be able to.

"Yes, that seems to be the best course of action for today." Archie agreed, seeing Katie relax against her father in slight relief.

"Come on, lass, let's sail away." Killian offered his hand to his daughter. She slotted her small hand into his larger one. They shared a small smile as they both stood from the couch.

Katie turned and held out her free hand to her mommy. Emma took it in hers but, instead of using it to stand, she brought the dainty fingers to her lips.

"I'll be out in just a minute. Go with Daddy and decide what you want to do for the rest of today." Emma squeezed her daughter's hand, before sharing a look with her husband. Killian immediately understood what his wife's intention was. He knew both of his girls.

"Aye we'll see you outside, love." Killian nodded his goodbye to the therapist and escorted Katie from the room. And soon as the door clicked into the latch, Emma turned to face Archie.

"Well, that could have gone much better."

"Yes, it could have. Unfortunately, this is how therapy goes most of the time." Archie collected together his notes on Katie, placing them all neatly into her file. "Patients have set backs. They do well, making real progress, then something happens which knocks them back. This doesn't mean, however, that the therapy isn't helping. We're definitely not back to step one."

"I just… look I'm not trying… it's…" Emma rung her hands out in front of her.

"Emma, this is a safe space. Fell free to say anything that you want to." Archie could sense that the recent events were taking their toll on each member of the family. A family which he cared for deeply. He was willing to help them to the best of his ability.

"I just can't help but wonder if pushing her like that was the right thing to do." Emma stood from the couch so that she could pace out her frustrations.

"That's a valid question for you to have, Emma." Archie nodded his head. "However, you know better than anyone, when people aren't in the mood for therapy is usually when they need it the most."

"Katie isn't people though, she's just a child." Emma snapped back in response. At the therapist's sympathetic expression, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "She's my child." Emma's voice was much softer now.

"I know." Archie stood up and placed his hand on the sheriff's arm. Emma opened her eyes at the contact. "Look, therapy's hard work. It takes time, but it will work. It is working. Try to think about how far Katie has come."

"I'll try. Thanks Archie." Emma pulled the man into a quick, but genuine hug.

"You're welcome, Emma." Archie smiled warmly at his friend. "Now go and a join the day with your family. I'll see you three back on Thursday."

Emma offered him one more smile before going in search of her family. She frowned when she found the waiting room empty bar Leroy, who was Archie's next appointment.

"They were out front when I arrived." Leroy barely looked up from the newspaper in his lap.

"Cheers, Leroy."

"Don't mention it, sister." Leroy looked up to give her a cursory nod, before returning to his reading.

Killian was leaning against the wall outside, watching Katie tracing the indents on the sidewalk with her shoes. They both turned when Emma exited the therapists office. Katie seemed somewhat lethargic as she went over to hug her mother's waist.

"You ok, baby?" Emma caressed her daughter's soft brown waves. Katie tightened her embrace, prompting Emma to stop stroking her hair to do the same. "Have you guys decided what you want to do?"

"Well I suggested sailing, but our lass doesn't feel up to it." Killian took up his wife's previous post, running his hook through Katie's locks. "However, that doesn't mean that we can't still benefit from the sea's calming aura." He winked as Emma raised her eyes to meet his.

"Our spot?" Emma asked, even though she was certain of her husband's plan.

"Wherever else, love?" Killian's reply was as soothing to Emma as the waters were sure to be. She thought this was an excellent idea.

"What d'you say, Katie?" Emma relaxed her grip on her daughter so that she could see her face. Katie's smile was small, but it was there, as she reached out for her father's hook. Emma took Katie's free hand into her own, and together they walked towards the docks.

The trip spent a relaxing hour or so simply watching the horizon; allowing it, along with the each other's presence, to calm their restless thoughts.

On the way home, they stopped at Granny's to get a take away for lunch. Emma took charge of the food as Killian was carrying Katie in his arms. The young girl was asleep before they reached the white picket fence.

#

The doorbell rang, so Emma left Killian to finish dinner while she went to answer it.

"Hey guys, dinner shouldn't be..." Emma's greeting to her parents trailed off at the sight of the woman standing beside them. "Regina? I didn't know you were coming."

"Yes, well, your mother invited me." Regina bristled slightly defensively at her friend's comment. Emma didn't take offence, however, she knew that it was merely one of the queen's walls. Regina hadn't visited their house since Katie had learnt of her evil past. Emma was glad she was here. Maybe now they could start building the bridges between her daughter and Regina. Also Emma had truly missed how often she used to see her friend.

"And I'm glad she did." Emma smiled warmly, and was pleased when Regina returned the expression.

"Where's Katie?" Neal frowned as he walked in to find down stairs empty besides Killian.

"Um, she's just getting ready for dinner." Killian scratched behind his ear, a tell-tale sign that he was nervous.

"Oh, I'll go get her." Neal ran enthusiastically towards the stairs. Killian barely managed to stop him in time.

"No need, lad, she'll be joining us shortly." Killian tried to act as nonchalant as possible, he didn't wish to worry the boy. Neal looked impatiently up the stairs. "Hey, what d'you say to learning another skill needed as a pirate captain?"

"I say yes!" Neal jumped in excitement; his previous uncertainty forgotten. "What is it?"

"Why cooking of course. Any Captain worth his salt needs to know how to keep his men well fed." Killian was stretching the truth a little here, but he needed to distract his brother-in-law. Neal's love for the pirate life made this easy for him. "Are you up to the challenge sailor?"

"Aye, aye captain." Neal saluted Killian before following him back into the kitchen.

"Is Katie really getting ready?" Snow spoke in hushed tones, mindful of her son mere feet away.

"Honestly I don't know. That's what she went upstairs to do." Emma ran a hand over her face. "It's getting worse. She's barely talking to us. She's not sleeping. None of us are."

"Do you think we could try speaking to her?" David pulled his daughter into his side. He hated seeing his family struggling. "Me and Snow have both lost our mothers, perhaps we could help."

"I appreciate the offer, Dad, I do." Emma leaned into her father's side, warmth spreading through her at how much they cared for Katie. "It's just, Killian's already tried, seeing as his mom died when he was young too. Katie didn't draw much comfort from it."

"Because he loved her." Snow whispered her epiphany to the group. They all waited for her to elaborate. "You see, Killian had a very close bond with his mother. As we did with ours", Snow gestured to her husband. "They showed us nothing but love and kindness, so when they died of course we were upset. No-one expected differently of us. For Katie, however, it's more complicated."

"Then what can we do?" David let go of Emma, placing his hands on his hips instead. The four adults fell into a worried silence.

"Wait a minute." A thought suddenly occurred to Emma. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it sooner. It was also a way to kill two birds with one stone. "Regina, maybe you could try?" Regina's eyes widened at the idea. "I mean if anyone knows about conflicted feelings over a dead mother, it's you... No offence." Emma winced slightly at how that may have come out.

"None taken." Regina waved her hand to dismiss the apology. "However, I don't know if this is the best plan. I'd love to help Katie, of course I would. But she still sees me as the Evil Queen. I wouldn't wish to cause her any more distress."

"That's honourable of you, Regina, but Emma's right. You're our best chance." David appreciated the queen's trepidation surrounding Katie, but he had to believe that this would work.

"I don't-" Regina shook her head.

"Please, Regina." Emma blinked back tears as she pleaded with her friend. "I don't know what else to do."

"Ok, Emma, I'll try." Regina took Emma's hands into her own, giving them a reassuring squeeze. The blonde smiled weakly through watery eyes. Regina took a deep breath and headed upstairs to Katie's room.

The young girl was sat on her bed, her well-loved teddy in her lap. Katie was watching as she played with his arms. She wasn't really focusing on what she was doing.

A light knock on the door still managed to startle Katie. She looked up, expecting to find one of her parents or grandparents in her doorway. Instead she saw the (formally) evil queen.

"Hi, Katie. Can I come in?"

Katie stared at the woman for a few beats. Her first instinct was to refuse. But then she remembered what her grandma had said about Regina's past. The queen's mother had been bad, probably even worse than her own. Katie wouldn't have gotten to where she was now if Emma and Killian hadn't decided to give her a chance. To be kind to her. It was the least that Katie could do to show that kindness to their friend. So she gently nodded her head, clasping her teddy tighter as Regina stepped into the room.

"Thank you." Regina was slightly taken aback that she agreed to see her. She sat down of the corner of the bed, not wishing to crowd Katie. The girl tensed slightly at the close proximity nonetheless. Neither spoke, or even moved, for several minutes. Finally, Regina cleared her throat. "Katie, your parents asked me to come and see you. They're worried about you."

Katie worried her bottom lip between her teeth at that statement. She knew that that her parents were worried about her. That they were sleeping even less than she did. She wanted it all to stop.

"We're all worried about you." Regina smiled softly as Katie seemed genuinely shocked by that addition. Her heart hurt for the girl. There was a time when Regina thought that no-one cared about her, and she was probably right. But was down to herself; of the bad choices that she made. Katie, on the other hand, didn't ask for any of it. "I thought that maybe I could help, seeing as I know what it's like to have a mother who chooses the wrong sides."

"I know." Katie whispered, as if to herself. "Grandma told me."

"Well, did she tell you that my mother died as well?" Regina had never had a conversation with Katie before. She know knew what everyone raved about; Katie's voice was angelic. The young girl shook her head. ""Well she did. And I didn't know how to process it." Katie moved closer to her, listening with upmost attention. "Even though I knew about all of the bad things she'd done, all of the people she'd hurt, I still mourned her death. I wasn't completely sure if I missed her; I'm still not sure if I do or not. It took me years to finally work through my feelings surrounding the loss of my mother."

Katie felt liquid well up in her eyes. Years? She didn't think she could survive carrying around this for years. And what would it do to her parents? How long would they deal with her being like this? Everyone has a limit.

"But that's just because I tried to deal with it on my own." Regina's heart broke at the tears in Katie's eyes. She wanted to wipe them away, but she knew that they probably weren't there yet. "When I started to feel clearer, was when I reached out to those around me. Henry, Snow, Emma have all helped me since then. Your family are great at it. They're just waiting for the heads up from you to start."

"Our family." Katie's voice was muffled when she buried her face into her teddy. She didn't like to cry in front of people. She thought that she probably could trust Regina now, but she still wasn't quite ready to be vulnerable yet.

"What was that?" Regina thought she knew what she'd heard, but she needed to check.

"Not just my family." Katie turned her face towards Regina, keeping her cheek resting on his soft fur. "Our family."

"Your right. Our family." Regina now had tears in her eyes as well. This girl was one of the kindest souls alive. She was always thinking of others.

"Thanks." Katie sniffed, the water beginning to streak down her cheeks. She was grateful for Regina. She didn't want to be rude, but she needed her parents.

"You're welcome, darling." Regina spoke around the lump in throat. "Now, should we go see the rest of our family?"

Katie nodded her head and slipped off the bed. One hand clutched her teddy tightly to her side, whilst she offered the other to Regina. The queen stared at her hand before gently slipping her own into Katie's.

They shared a small, emotional smile and left the room.

Emma had sat in the chair facing the stairs. She was trying to listen to her little brother's ramblings as he helped Killian with some of the easier dinner preparations. However all she could think of was her worry for her daughter.

Katie kept her hold on Regina's hand as they walked into the question. Emma's eyes lit up when she saw them. Regina led the young girl over to her.

"Hey baby." Emma held her arms out and Katie immediately let go of Regina to climb onto her mother's lap. The young girl's tears fell faster and she nuzzled into Emma's neck to hide her face. She didn't want anyone to see her like this. "Sshh baby, sssh it's okay." Emma met her husband's worried gaze. The rest of the family were looking on the embrace as well.

"Neal, why don't we go look at the tree-house huh?" David began to shepherd his son out of the door.

"It's a 'tree-ship' Dad." Neal rolled his eyes, but went with his father anyway. Snow and Regina followed them out, with glasses of wine in their hands.

"Daddy?" Katie's small voice broke when she lifted her head to search for her father.

"I'm here, Princess. We're here." Killian knelt down in front of his family, resting his hook on Katie's thigh. "What is it, lass"

"I...I th-think... I'm sad." Katie choked out and she cast her eyes down at her teddy. "I know I sh-shouldn't be, but I am."

"It's ok that you feel that way, sweetie." Emma squeezed her daughter tighter against her.

"Aye, it's completely understandable and valid to feel sad Katie. Especially over this." Killian raised his hook to lift up his daughter's chin. He needed her to see the truth in his eyes. And the love that would always shine there for her.

"You're not angry with me?" Katie moved her hopeful gaze between both of her parents.

"Of course not." Killian stroked a piece of hair behind her ear with his hook. "We could never be angry at you."

"Ok." Katie gave a small nod of her head. "I love you."

"And we love you too, sweetie. So much." Emma rests her cheek on top of her daughter's head. "Do you want to talk about it more now, or later?"

"Later's fine." Katie wiped her tears away with the backs of her hands.

"You sure, princess?" Killian glanced at Emma, who had a protective fire in her eyes that he was sure was in his own.

"Yes. I want to be with our family." Katie held onto her father's shoulder as she hopped off her mother's lap.

"Well, if that's the case, I think a certain young lad is waiting anxiously for you in the tree-ship." Killian grinned widely as Katie ran out to find her friend/uncle.

"I'll have to thank Regina." Emma and Killian followed the young girl outside.

"Aye, that idea was inspired, love." Killian winked at his wife. He then looked out of the back door to see Neal 'helping' to pull Katie up into the tree structure. Both children's faces were glowing.

"She's going to be ok." Emma smiled widely up at her husband.

"No, love." Killian pressed a kiss into her blonde waves. "She's going to be bloody fantastic."


	16. Chapter 16

Katie came downstairs to find her parents already up and in the kitchen. She had slept in their bed again last night; all of them had needed each other after the conversation they had had the night before. Once their family had left, not long after they'd eaten dinner as Katie was clearly still upset, the three of them had curled up on the couch with hot cocoa and cinnamon. Katie talked about everything she'd felt since learning that her birth mother wanted to see her, and then how those emotions manifested when Rebecca died. No matter how many times the young girl had apologised for the way she felt, her parents were always there to shush and reassure her. By the end the trio were all in tears and exhausted, but also lighter from the cleansing experience. Their journey of healing may have hit a road bump, but it felt like they were at least getting back on track. That was why Katie had made a decision.

"I want to go to school today." Katie spoke in place of her usual morning greeting. Killian looked up from his newspaper and Emma turned her back to the toaster, which was currently heating her breakfast.

"You sure, princess?" Killian folded his paper on the table, gesturing for Katie to come closer.

"Yep." Katie nodded as she stepped up in between her father's legs. Killian wrapped his arms loosely around her back. Emma walked up behind her daughter and gently stroked her brown waves. The young girl had been so sure in her choice, but now her parents' uncertainty was seeping into her. She focused on her hands which were fiddling with the pirate charms hanging around her father's neck. "Unless you think I shouldn't…"

"Of course not, sweetie." Emma was quick to refute that suggestion. She made eye contact with her husband, before turning her loving gaze back to her daughter. "We only want to make sure that this is the right thing for you. That you'll be ok."

"Aye, lass, we just worry about you. That's all." Killian reached his hand up to cup Katie's cheek.

"You don't have to worry about me." Katie smiled softly causing her father to do the same. "I'll be ok. It's just school."

"We know you will be. That won't stop us from worrying though. Cause that's what parents do." Emma laid a kiss to the side of her daughter's head. "Now, lets get some breakfast down us. You'll need the energy for school today." Katie's smile broadened, happy that her parents were on board. She went to get herself a glass of water.

"Right you are, love." Killian opened his newspaper back up, before an idea popped into his head. Wearing a malicious grin, he turned towards his girls. "How does a pirate's breakfast of grapefruit and boiled mackerel sound?"

"Gross." Emma and Katie made noises of disgust at his suggestion. Killian shook his head at his wife handing a box of pop tarts to their daughter. He's beginning to think that a healthy diet is a lost cause when it comes to his family.

#

"KATIE!" The high pitched squeal managed to drown out the playground noise as the Swan-Jones family passed through the school gates. Not two seconds later, a young blonde-haired girl stood smiling widely in front of them. Katie let go of her parents' hands to greet the new arrival. "Hi Emma. Hi Hook."

"Hey Alexandra, how are you?" Emma smiled down at her daughter's best friend.

"Good, thank you." Alexandra grinned up at Emma, before turning her attention back on Katie. "Happy now Katie's back. Did you get my card?"

Katie nodded in confirmation. She'd opened the card that morning and had immediately loved it. On the front was a drawing of two stick figures holding hands, one with blonde hair and the other with brown. 'I Miss You' was written across the top - in Alexandra's signature pink glitter of course.

"Did you like it?" The young girl's eyes were wide with hope.

Katie took a deep breath. "Yes. Thank you." Her voice was small and shy, but Alexandra squealed all the same. Emma and Killian smiled at one another; Katie had finally let her friend in enough to talk to her. They were so proud of her with every step she took.

"You-you did? Cause I wanted to give you a card and Mommy said that I should make you one cause that's more from the heart." Alexandra's blonde curls were bouncing up and down with her excitement.

"Alex, how many times do I have to tell you not to run off like that." Sean ran up to the group, running an exasperated hand over his face.

"Daddy, I saw Katie." Alexandra says matter-of-factly. "She's back at school, and she said she liked my card that I made her."

"That's good to hear." Sean chuckled slightly, before moving to greet Emma and Killian.

The group remained in light conversation, Katie whispering in Alexandra's ear whenever she wanted to tell her something, until the school bell sounded. The parents barely had the chance to say goodbye to their children, before the two girls skipped away hand-in-hand.

#

Killian rushed into his wife's office when he heard a loud gasp from within. Emma had been inputting their shifts for the next month, trying to figure out when they could next realistically take some time off.

"Swan?" Killian, getting no reply from the sheriff, peered at the screen over Emma's shoulder. Sure enough she had the online calendar open in front of her. Therefore he couldn't decipher what garnered that reaction to a seemingly mundane task. "I don't quite understand, love." Emma raised a shaky finger to point at the date just over a week away. Killian's heart nearly stopped when it finally clicked into place. Katie's birthday.

"How could we forget?" Emma was appalled at herself. What kind of mother got too caught up in life to remember her child's birthday?

"To be fair, we didn't actually forget." Killian laid a placating hand on his wife's shoulder, turning her around to face him. Emma was ready to interject, but stopped herself when her eyes met her husband's. "I mean, not properly. We've still got eleven days, love. Battles have been forged, fought and lost in less time. And I'm sure organising a children's birthday is much less work than instructing a crew of unruly pirates."

"Yes, maybe, for people who know what they're doing." Emma groaned, still angry at herself for this oversight. "But we don't know what we're doing, do we? Cause I don't know how many 8-year-old girl's birthday parties Captain Hook hosted, but for me it's a big fat zero!" Killian raised his eyebrow at Emma's last statement. He chose not to comment on it though.

"Aye, you're right. Neither of us are exactly qualified for this task." Killian conceded, allowing Emma to relish a small sense of victory before he flipped the situation around. "However, I think we both know someone who is. And, more importantly, would be thrilled to do this for us." Emma narrowed her eyes at his suggestion, wanting to hang onto her exasperation just a little longer. Her expression morphed into a sly grin quicker than she had expected. She had to admit, Killian was right on the money.

That evening, after work, Emma and Killian went to pick Katie up from the Charming's residence.

"Hi guys, come in." David greeted the couple, stepping aside so that they could enter the house. "The kids are just watching the end of their movie, it's not got long left."

"That's fine." Emma reassured her father with a smile. "We need to talk to mom about something anyway."

"She's in the kitchen." David waited for them to move towards the room, before following behind.

"Emma, Killian. I'm sorry I didn't hear you come in." Snow hastened to gather up the papers in front of her into neater piles on the table.

"Your mother gets into the zone when she's marking." David chuckled lightly, pressing a kiss to his wife's forehead as he moved to sit next to her. Emma and Killian took the seats across from them.

"I'm sure you would too if you had to read 30 kids' work explaining why a particular bird is their favourite." Snow sighed before turning her attention to the newcomers. "How are you two today?"

"We're good, thanks Mom. We would like to ask you something, though." Emma felt Killian grasp her hand under the table, giving it a comforting squeeze. He knew that even after all of these years, Emma still found it hard to go to others for help. Only having yourself to rely on for your first 28 years will do that to do a person. "Katie's birthday's coming up and we realised we both suck at planning kids parties, so…"

"Yes!" Snow squealed, promptly exiting the room to move down the hall.

"What's going on?" Emma voiced her confusion over her mother's swift departure.

"I don't know, love. I don't know at all." Killian's brow furrowed at David's shrugged shoulders, showing that he had no idea either. The atmosphere was perplexed, to say the least, as the trio waited for some answers.

"Right, I'm back." Snow returned as quickly as she'd left.

"Was there something pressing you had to do?" Emma was still none the wiser to why she had left so suddenly.

"Birthday planning." Snow dropped the binder she was holding onto the middle of the table. "I have been putting together a few ideas."

"You did all this since Hook and I adopted Katie?" Emma stared in wonder as her mother flipped through pages upon pages of pink banners, purple cupcakes, princess themed party games… the list was endless.

"She might have started a bit before that." David chuckled, remembering an evening some months ago where he'd caught his wife searching online for realistic bouncy castles.

"Like how long ago?" Killian's laughter was considerably more nervous that his father-in-law's. By the looks of this, Snow was planning a party that would cost more than their wedding.

"Umm...well it was definitely after our time in the Underworld." Snow's expression turned sheepish as she finally met the incredulous pairs of eyes staring at her. "Look I know I'm excited, but can you blame me?"

"I guess not." Despite the teasing, Emma understood her mother's eagerness completely. They'd missed a lot of milestones in Katie's life already, they all wanted to make the absolute most of this one. That's why Killian had suggested they include Snow in the preparations, after all.

"And we are touched, milady." Killian decided to turn on the charm for his mother-in-law; he didn't want her to feel bad for wanting the best for their little girl. "Saying that, perhaps we could tone it down slightly? Even doubloons only stretch so far."

"He's got a point, Snow." David clasped his wife's hand in his, trying to get rid of the pout on her face. Before Snow could argue her side any further, two sets of footsteps were heard running down the stairs.

"Princess." Killian grinned as his daughter barrelled into his arms. Katie's delighted giggles were matched only by Neal's, as he wrapped his arms around Emma. "Have you had a good time?"

"We watched Mulan!" Neal blurted out and Katie nodded her head.

"Wow really? I love that movie." Emma replied with equal enthusiasm.

"Me too." Neal high-fived his older sister. "Katie had never seen it before!"

"And what is your verdict, Katie?" Killian bopped the young girl on the nose.

"It's good. I like that Mulan saves the day."

"She is pretty badass." Emma nods her head, pleased that her daughter looks up to strong women.

"At least Disney got her right." Snow didn't seem any less disgruntled than before the kids' entrance.

"Here here." Killian muttered, causing the group to laugh in memory of the cartoon Hook and his perm.

"What's this?" Neal wandered over to the table to grab Snow's binder. The adults hadn't meant for the children to see this, but it wasn't as if Katie's birthday was going to be a surprise anyway. The page was opened on multiple cake designs. "Is it someone's birthday?"

"Aye, it's Katie's." Killian stroked Katie's cheek when her eyes widened at his words.

"You didn't tell me!" Neal seemed outraged that he'd missed out on this important news.

"Not today, Neal, but very soon." David shushed his son, managing to calm him down slightly. "We were just getting started on planning a party."

"You want to have a party?" Katie's voice was small as she stared into her father's eyes. "For me?"

"Of course, lass." Killian answered sincerely. He needed her to see that he would do anything for her. The whole family would.

Katie didn't know what to say. So she climbed onto her father's lap and rested her head on his shoulder. Killian laid his cheek on her hair after pressing a kiss into the brown waves. Emma's eyes shone with unshed tears as she gazed at the pair. A hand on her arm urged her to turn and face her mother.

"Don't pay attention to me." Snow whispered, nodding for Emma to look back to her small family. The blonde did so willingly. "Whatever that little girl wants is fine. Whether it's an intermate gathering or a town-wide party. She can have it."

"Thanks mom." Emma leant into her mother's side, glad that Snow was onboard. Even if it was to be a simple affair.

#

Katie was feeling good about her party, that was now only a week away. She had chosen to have it the day after her actual birthday, seeing as that would be a Saturday. Her dad had suggested having it on the Jolly Roger, and Katie had jumped at the chance to spend more time on his ship; she had fallen head-over-heels for the vessel, just like her mother.

Right now, Katie was sat with Emma and Snow making invitations to send out later that day. It wasn't going to be a big event, and majority of the guests were family who already knew what was happening when, but Snow had been adamant to do things the right way. To be honest, Katie was happy to oblige her. However when her grandmother asked her what she wanted them to look like, Katie drew a blank.

"I don't mind." Katie shrugged, not knowing the right answer. "Whatever you want is fine."

"But these are your invitations, honey. You need to choose." Snow went to grasp the young girl's hand, but Katie moved it from her reach. Emma was watching the exchange with growing concern.

"It doesn't matter." Katie mumbled, hoping her grandmother would drop it. She should have known it wouldn't be that easy.

"Of course it matters." Snow gasped as if she were horrified by such a statement. "It's your birthday and this is the first glimpse that…" The ruler trailed off at the look her daughter shot her. It was the one she always received from Emma, or David, when she was getting a bit carried away with a particular concept/idea.

"What is it, Katie?" Emma turned her chair around so that she was completely facing her little girl. Katie instinctively edged towards her mother. "I thought you wanted to do this."

"I did. It's just…" Katie was feeling quite silly about the situation now.

"Just what, baby?" Emma gently prompted, cradling her daughter's cheek in her palm to get her to meet her eyes. As soon as they made eye contact, Katie's fears began to retreat. She knew her mother would understand.

"I've never done this before." Katie whispered, just loud enough for both the women to hear. "I don't know how to make invitations. Or what they should look like."

"Oh sweetie, that's alright." Emma stroked Katie's hair, tucking a wayward lock behind her ear. "There's no rules or anything like that. Everything goes, as long as you like it."

"You sure?" Katie still found it hard to fathom that people actually cared about her opinion on stuff. The fact that the only thing that mattered now was that she liked the invitations stunned her.

"You're mommy's right, Katie." Snow smiled warmly when the girl looked towards her. "This is all for you. And if it makes you happy, it'll make your family and friends happy too." She'd said the same thing to Emma a few nights before, but she'd managed to forget this promise already. Now that it had been made to her granddaughter herself, though, Snow was certain that she would be able to control her party-planning urges.

"Ok." Katie felt like a massive weight had been lifted of her shoulders, now that it was clear she wasn't lacking in the part of birthday girl.

"It's normal to feel uncertain about some stuff, honey." Snow added, once the trio had finally gotten to work crafting the perfect invite for Katie. "This is your first birthday party, after all." The little girl bit her lip at that comment but didn't respond further. She didn't want to spoil the peace they were experiencing by bringing up the truth. Because Katie had had her birthday recognised before.

She just didn't want to talk about it.

#

Katie went to bed early that night after assuring her father that she was alright. She felt bad when she saw his disappointment; this was supposed to be their evening after all, as Emma was working the night shift at the station. But she was exhausted. Her grandmother's comment earlier had unlocked memories of events that she'd almost forgotten entirely. She just wanted to fall asleep and get lost in her dreams.

Sadly her dreams had other ideas.

 _Katie knew what a birthday was. She had heard the other children at school talk about how their parents got them cards and presents. Then they would invite the other kids round for parties and cake. She didn't know what they did there, but they sounded fun. She'd never been asked to go. Maybe that was because she'd never asked any of her classmates to a party for her. They didn't know that that was because she'd never had one before. Well, that was about to change._

 _When Katie asked her dad if she could have a party for her 5th birthday, he'd flat out refused at first._

 _"Who the hell wants to celebrate the day you were born? Who cares?" Nick had mocked his daughter's request. She'd gone to bed that night with red eyes and soaked cheeks. Her dreams of making friends dashed._

 _A couple of days later when her dad suddenly announced that he'd changed his mind, Katie was too excited to notice the sadistic nature of his smile._

 _Katie was spending her first ever birthday party curled up on a lumpy pillow in the middle of the apartment. The place was packed with guests, all there to have a good time. The issue was that none of them were Katie's age. Not even close._

 _She was tired. Her head was hurting, yet not as much as her heart was. This was nowhere close to what she was imagining her birthday would be like._

 _At least there was cake._

 _"Daddy." Katie finally spotted her dad through the throng of people in their kitchen. She slowly made her way over to where he was slumped in a chair._

 _"Oh look, it's the birthday girl." Nick slurred as she approached him. "What d'you want?"_

 _"Umm…I want to go to bed, please." Katie managed to squeak out in a shy whisper._

 _"What already?" Her dad's brows furrowed as he gestured to the clock. It was gone midnight._

 _"I'm tired." Katie yawned as if to prove her point._

 _"But it's your party. You're the guest of honour." The man stood from his seat and his voice rose with him. "This is all for you."_

 _"Please." Katie breathed out as she tried to ignore all of the people gathering around her._

 _"Listen up. Katie, my daughter and the birthday girl, says she's had enough and wants to go to bed." Nick's voice boomed through the small apartment. The guests began to drunkenly boo his last statement, which lit his eyes up with glee. He'd always enjoyed being the centre of attention, a trait which Katie had not inherited. "I know, I know. Don't worry I'm not going to listen to her. There is much more fun to have tonight!" The boos morphed into cheers and hip-hip-hoorays. "I think Katie just needs some more excitement. So she will be set up in my room, and anyone who has anything special for her birthday is welcome to join her. Let the gift giving begin!" With that, and backed by a raucous from his audience, Nick grabbed his daughter's arm and hauled her into his room. Once he was sure the door was firmly closed, he rounded on the young girl. "I do all of this for you, and this is the thanks I get. A daughter who's not happy with the party I threw her out of the goodness of my heart. This'll teach you, you ungrateful brat!"_

 _"I'm not… I am happy." Katie felt tears burning her eyes and she fought to keep them at bay. Her dad always got madder if she cried. "I'm just sleepy…"_

 _"Well I don't buy it! And if you think I'm going to put up with it for another second, well dream on." Nick thrust her arm away with such force that it sent Katie to the floor. "Now get up and smile. Seeing as you ain't got none of your own, my friends have kindly agreed to treat you like one of theirs. So show some respect, or so help me this'll be the last birthday you ever have." After taking a second to compose himself, Nick opened the door to address the rest of the occupants. "Right whose first to see the birthday girl?"_

 _Katie didn't know how long she spent in that room, fighting against her tiredness, dealing with her father's friends. Some of them were nice enough, others almost as bad as he was. When a few treated her exactly as he did, she lost her battle against her tears._

 _Her father returned once all of the others had either gone home or passed out. He was even more spaced out than before. Katie thought she had done as he'd asked. She'd been grateful and thanked every one of the guests; even those whose gifts she hadn't enjoyed. She felt beyond tired, sick, dizzy and heart-broken. Still her father seemed unhappy. And she knew what happened when her father was unhappy._

 _"Please. I said thank you. I smiled. I was good." Katie knew that her father hated crying, but she couldn't help it. She didn't know what else to do. "No, please. I'm sorry. I'll be better. Please, Daddy, don't."_

 _"Don't you dare tell me what I can and can't do to my own flesh and blood." Those words were the last Katie heard before she shut off for the night, knowing that all of her efforts were useless. It was better if she didn't fight and just locked herself away from reality._

Killian jerked awake from where he had dozed off on the couch. He groaned as he rolled his neck to rid himself of any cricks caused by the position. This was a common occurrence over the years whenever Emma worked the night shift. He hated going to sleep without her and being alone in their bed made it that much worse. Emma was the same way. It probably had something to do with how many times they'd been separated not knowing when, or if, they would see each other again.

A cry from upstairs broke through his musings. Killian was up in an instant, running up the stairs towards his daughter's room. There he found his baby girl whimpering in her sleep.

"Oh princess." Killian sat down on the edge of her bed and gently laid his hand on her back.

"Daddy, please." Katie cried out at the pirate's contact, her whole body tensing even more. Killian thought it was his daughter asking for his help after feeling his presence. He was ready to reassure her. Until her next words made his blood run cold. "Daddy, stop… I'm sorry… don't…"

"Bloody hell." Killian bit out as he removed his hand from the young girl, not wanting to add to her distress. He took a second to compose himself. Leaning in closer to her ear, Killian spoke in a tender tone. "Katie, listen to me, you're ok. It's ok. You're just dreaming. Please, darling, wake up."

"No, I can't… I don't…" Katie stuttered out. Her voice sounded more awake than before, and Killian tried to take it as a good sign.

"That's it, Katie. You're safe. You're loved and you're cared for. Please." Killian felt his fear attempting to choke him, but he fought against it. "Please, come back to us. Come back to me."

Suddenly Katie's eyes flew open and she sat up stock straight against the headboard. The two of them stared into the other's eyes for a few long beats. Killian tried to keep his features as calm as possible, whilst the terror on his daughter's face was making his stomach roll.

Katie opened her mouth to speak, but all that managed to escape was a cry. And then the dam broke. The young girl fell into her father's arms as she shook with sobs.

"Sssh, it's alright. You're alright." Killian held his baby girl tight against his chest, pulling her gently onto his lap. "I'm here. Daddy's here. I've got you." Katie tensed slightly at his words, but didn't release her grip. Killian had to bite the inside of his cheek hard to keep his tears at bay. He knew exactly what the nightmare, or rather memory, had been about. That monster was still in her head. And it killed him. "Take deep breaths for me, ok sweetheart?" Killian could actually feel Katie's chest starting to tighten as her breath became harder to catch. He didn't want her to suffer a full-blown panic attack. Especially not after what her mind had just gone through.

Katie tried to do as her dad said. She spent a few minutes taking long, slow breaths. Killian stroked her back the whole time, offering what support he could. It was helping. The problem was, as the complaints from her lungs faded into the background, the pounding in her head got louder. One thought screamed above the rest, over and over until it broke into the air.

"I don't want to have a party." The young girl's voice was monotone, barely recognisable as her own.

"What's that, princess?" Killian tried to see Katie's face, but it was buried beneath her waves.

"Don't want a party." Katie mumbled once more into his neck.

"Why not, princess?" Killian knew that this decision was in the wake of her nightmare. He really didn't want to know what past trauma had re-emerged in his daughter's mind. But it was important for Katie to talk about it. Important for her to know that she could talk to him anytime about anything.

Katie shook her head hard as her breathing began to speed up again. Tears were pouring down the young girl's cheeks as looked up at her father. "P-please d-don't...don't m-make me...D-daddy..." Katie's breath hitched through her plea.

"Never." Killian couldn't hold back his tears at that. He held his baby girl impossibly tighter against him. "I would never make you do anything you didn't want to do, Katie. Never. Ok?"

Katie's sobs increased after hearing her father's promise, which wasn't helping her breathing. Killian rocked her on his lap, in a motion which he hoped imitated the Jolly Roger; Katie, like both her parents, found being on the ship deeply calming.

They sat like that for some time. Long enough for Killian to hope that his daughter would have fallen back asleep. Sadly, it became clear that Katie wasn't willing to risk having the same experience again.

"Why don't we go watch a movie in Mommy and Daddy's bed?" Killian suggested, his voice making Katie jump slightly as it broke the silence. At her nod, the pirate carried his daughter and her teddy into the master bedroom.

The movie was Peter Pan. Cause it always made Katie smile. This time, though, the young girl simply stared unseeing from her place curled against her father. Killian's attention was solely on his daughter. He held her hand in his own, resting on his stomach. His hook ran in a continuous soothing stroke up her side. He took note of every breath, every hiccough, every shudder that Katie had.

Killian didn't know which was stronger. His anger or his sadness.

#

Emma arrived home more-than-half-expecting to find her husband dozing on the couch, complaining about neck ache from the position. She therefore frowned slightly when she entered an empty downstairs. After toeing off her boots and shedding her jacket, Emma made her way to the stairs. She was exhausted, as per usual after working an uneventful night shift.

The sound of their TV reached Emma's ears, and her confusion deepened. Killian never used it when she wasn't there, as he much preferred relaxing with a book before bed. She forced her mind not to come to the conclusion that something was wrong. That these few changes to a man of over two centuries worth of habits was nothing to worry about.

Emma's heart melted at the sight of her husband and daughter snuggled up together. That was before she realised that they were both wide awake.

Katie's head snapped up at the presence of someone else in the room. When she realised it was her mother, a sob escaped her. Then another. And another.

Emma wasted no time getting to her distressed little girl. She ran round to sit on her side of the bed and brought Katie into her arms.

"Hey, hey, what is it?" Emma could feel her worry trying to constrict her. She glanced at her husband, making contact with his wet red-rimmed eyes. Her heart beat faster in her chest. Emma silently implored him to give her some form of answer.

"Our…" Killian coughed slightly in an attempt to rid his voice of it's hoarseness. It didn't have the desired effect. "Our lass had…a nightmare. She's quite shaken by it, as you can see." He gestured towards Katie, who was still sobbing on her mother's lap. Emma could see that there was more he could say, but she didn't push it. The blonde focused on her daughter instead.

"Do you want to talk about it, Katie?" Emma blinks back her own tears as Katie's sobs stutter with the shake of her head. "Ok, baby, that's ok. You don't have to. We can talk when you're ready, and if you never are then that's ok too."

"I'm t-tired, M-mommy." Katie's voice was incredibly fragile.

"Neither of us have slept much at all." Killian supplies and Emma's heart threatens to break. The pirate gestures towards the TV before finally switching it off. "I thought it best to watch some movies in here."

"Ok, well it seems like we all could do with a sleep." Emma smiled softly as her daughter's cries began to fade; she hoped it wasn't purely down to exhaustion. "Why don't we have some hot cocoa? See if that helps us get some rest."

"I'll go make some, Swan." As much as it pained Killian to even think about letting Katie out of his sight, his girls looked to comfortable to disturb.

"No!" Katie blurted out when her father went to leave.

"It's ok, princess, I'll be back." Killian reached out his hand to stroke Katie's cheek, attempting to wipe away the moisture there. The young girl to the opportunity to crawl into his open arms.

"You too stay here. I won't belong." Emma leaned in to lay a sweet kiss to her husbands lips. She needed him to know that she didn't mind that Katie wanted him in that moment. It reminded the saviour of how Katie had gone to her after seeing her birth mother again; as if she had needed confirmation that Emma was her mom now. The thought made her shudder as Emma finally deciphered what, or in this case who, her baby's nightmare had been about. Taking a deep breath and pushing that realisation from her mind, Emma went to make the drinks.

"Will Grandma be mad at me?" Katie laid her head on her father's lap, grasping his necklace tightly in her grasp.

"Of course not, little love." Killian's soft words lessened Katie's fear slightly.

"But… she went to a lot of trouble…" Katie worried her bottom lip between her teeth. She loved her grandma, and really appreciated all of the effort she'd put in for her. Katie hated the thought of disappointing her.

"I promise you, she won't mind." Killian began to once again rock his daughter in his lap. "I don't want you to worry about it. Let's just follow Mommy's example and focus on getting some rest, aye?"

Katie wasn't entirely convinced, but she was too tired to argue. Sleep sounded amazing. She was so exhausted that she didn't think her mind had enough energy to conjure any dreams.

Killian could tell that his baby girl was slowly allowing sleep to drag her under. He wanted to ease her journey as much as possible. Without really thinking about it, the pirate captain opened his mouth and began to softly sing.

" _Hush now, mo stóirín_

 _Close your eyes and sleep_

 _Waltzing the waves_

 _Diving in the deep_

 _Stars are shining bright_

 _The wind is on the rise_

 _Whispering words_

 _of long lost lullabies._ "

Katie smiled softly at the sound of her father's voice. She loved when he sang to her. He had been doing it more and more recently, both of them enjoying the moments.

" _Oh won't you come with me_

 _Where the moon is made of gold_

 _And in the morning sun_

 _We'll be sailing_ "

Killian gently picked his daughter up and carried her into her room. Katie's eyes fluttered closed as she sighed in contentment.

" _Oh won't you come with me_

 _Where the ocean meets the sky_

 _And as the clouds roll by_

 _We'll sing the song of the sea_ "

The father made sure that Katie was comfortable with being back in her own bed. She made no noise of protest when he laid her down, so he begun to tuck her in. Still softly humming the tune.

" _I had a dream last night_

 _And heard the sweetest sound_

 _I saw a great white light_

 _And dancers in the round_

 _Castles in the sand_

 _Cradles in the trees_

 _Don't cry, I'll see you by and by_ "

Killian listened to her steady breathing for a few moments. "Good night, my princess." Killian laid a feather-light kiss to her forehead before heading back to his room. Emma was sat in their bed, cradling a mug of hot cocoa in her hands. Killian's was on his bedside cabinet, with Katie's discarded on the dresser.

"I love that song." Emma whispered once her husband joined her in bed. Killian's heart clenched at moisture in her gaze. It was probably matched only by his own. Wordlessly, he took the mug from his wife's grip and placed it next to his own. Then he proceeded to open his arms to Emma, who eagerly accept his invitation. With his true love's head on his heart, and hand holding his stump, he once again began to the lullaby.

" _Oh won't you come with me_

 _Where the moon is made of gold_

 _And in the morning sun_

 _We'll be sailing_

 _Oh won't you come with me_

 _Where the ocean meets the sky_

 _And as the clouds roll by_

 _We'll sing the song of the sea_ "

"I love you." Emma breathed against his chest once he had finished. He'd first sang this song to her when they had started seeing each other, when she couldn't sleep over her upset at her parents for lying to her. It then became so that whenever he could tell that her heart was uneasy, he would gather her in his arms and sing this lullaby that he learnt from his mother.

"Aye, love. And I you." Killian laid a kiss to Emma's head as she pressed one above his heart. And it didn't matter if Katie didn't want a party. They would still celebrate her birthday, even as just the three of them. Cause that's all that mattered. That their special girl got to finally have the birthday that she wanted. It was long overdue.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey so that was another ridiculous break and I can only apologise. I've basically been getting my life together, which has been going pretty well actually (touch wood), so hopefully I'll now have more inspiration to write. I've started a new job which has me working less hours so that should give me more time to write - which will be great if my re-invigorated muse keeps on complying with my brains drabbles.**

 **To those who were asking if I'd given up with this fic, the answer is no. I will never leave this fic without a clear ending - which may happen in a couple of chapters. However I do have plans for a oneshot in this universe as well as a fullblown sequel - both of which I have started writing already, so it will be a long time before we say goodbye to Emma, Killian and Katie.**

 **Nightowl: In case you still wanted to know, the song that Killian sung to Katie in the last chapter is 'Song of the Sea (Lullaby) by Nolwenn Leroy. I heard it when I was searching and just thought of Killian instantly. So glad you liked the song choice as much as I did.**

 **Anywho, here's the next installment. (Hopefully you don't have to wait as long for the next one!) Thanks and love to everyone still reading, following, favouriting and reviewing. You guys keep me writing even on dark days :)x**

 _Killian Jones's 8th birthday started the same as every other day, much to the young boy's disappointment._

 _His mum had always made his birthdays a special occasion, the four that he had before she died were the best days of his life. Brennan Jones had tried to make somewhat of an effort for Killian's 5th birthday. It hadn't been the same though, and all three of them knew it. The next couple of years passed solely with Liam getting him a piece of cake; it was always slightly dry and crumbly, having been in his pocket since whatever day Liam had managed to steal it._

 _However, over the past year, Liam had spent every day down at the docks trying to get work. Their father had long since given up, christening it as a pointless exercise which almost never turned up any work. Therefore it had fallen to Liam to try to keep the Jones' from starvation._

 _So when Killian Jones awoke on the morning of his 8th birthday, it was to a cold empty shack which had lost the title of home when his mother died. The young boy had squeezed his eyes shut and attempted to recall her smell, her smile, her voice. It became harder and harder with each year that passed, but Killian refused to let his mother slip from his mind. So he laid in his bed and thought only of her. That was until his shivers against the cold became almost violent, and the emptiness in his stomach too painful to ignore._

 _Killian got out of bed, keeping his blanket wrapped firmly around his body, and shuffled over to the fire place. Coal was a commodity that they could no longer afford, and the few pieces of wood which they owned were burnt with no hope of being relit. Collecting fire wood was his father's responsibility, so Killian should not have been surprised that they didn't have any. He wasn't surprised he was just, for the second time that day, disappointed._

 _After wrapping himself in as many layers as he could find, which wasn't as many as he would have liked, Killian took it upon himself to go down to the docks and try his luck that some coal may have been left unattended. Unlikely, but he was desperate._

 _The docks were always thrumming with activity. Ships arriving throughout the day, cargo to be unloaded or loaded on, goods to be bought and bartered for. Men trying to get a day's work to feed their families. Boys trying to earn a place on a ship's crew, their eyes glossy with the idea of escaping this place for future adventures. No-one noticed the skinny 8-year-old boy making his way through the crowd. And why would they? The Jones's situation was sadly a common one, and the docks were littered with orphaned children. And although Liam and Killian weren't technically orphans, not yet, they might as well have been._

 _Killian walked to the very end of the docks, where he knew the work master's office was. And, as always, a crowd of men were standing outside to wait for any scraps of work available. Some of the men were old timers, men who had been doing this their whole life. Others were simply boys, who had had the job of provider thrust on them too soon. Amongst these was one Liam Jones._

 _"Liam!" Killian called when he spotted his brother's messy curls. Liam turned at the sound of his voice, his face fell at seeing Killian in a place like this._

 _"Killian." Liam hissed, grabbing his brother's arm when he was close enough. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?"_

 _"Looking for you." Killian's voice was small at the anger in his brother's eyes. Never had Liam looked more like their father, and it scared him._

 _"I told you not to come down here alone, where's father?" Liam looked in the direction the young boy had come, as if he expected to see the infamous Brennan Jones._

 _"I don't know." Killian shrugged, upset that he disappointed his brother. That was the last thing that he would ever want to do._

 _"He's not at home?" Liam turned back to the young boy with rising anger, this time at their father. At Killian's shake of his head, Liam immediately softened his grip. "Oh Killian, I'm sorry, father told me that he would go home to be with you."_

 _"It's ok." Killian sniffled, out of sadness or simply his body's reaction to the cold. He didn't know which. Probably both._

 _"No, it's not." Liam ran his hand down his face. At this moment the work master came out of his office, ready to throw too few demeaning scraps at the too many men below. This was also the moment where Liam made a decision. Not listening to the work master's judgement, he walked away with Killian's hand in his._

 _"Where are we going, brother?" Killian struggled to keep up with Liam's long strides._

 _"We are going to find father." Liam supplied the answer that Killian should have already figured out, seeing as they were heading towards the tavern. "And then we are going to celebrate your 8th birthday. Together. Like a family."_

 _"But, you can't…" Killian panted, his lungs nowhere near up to the task of a brisk walk. Liam seemed to realise this and slowed his steps, allowing his brother to set the pace. "What about…work? Food?"_

 _"I can take one day off for my little brother's birthday, can't I?" Liam stopped and knelt down to be the same height as Killian. "And as for food, don't you worry about that." He reached into his pocket and handed his little brother his present. "Happy Birthday, Killian."_

 _"Thank you." Killian unwrapped the dirty handkerchief to reveal a piece of cake. Yes it was slightly dry and crumbly, but it was his. And for the first time that day, Killian no longer felt disappointed. He felt happy and in awe of the lengths his brother would go to for him. It was a reminder that he wasn't alone. He still had, and always would, have his brother by his side. And that was why this piece of cake was the best birthday gift anyone had ever received._

#

 _Emma Swan's 8th birthday started the same as every other day, not the young girl was surprised._

 _Emma had never really cared about birthdays. Especially not hers. Without hospital records, her birthday was simply the day that she'd been found in the woods. Abandoned. So yeah. Happy Abandonment Day to her._

 _However, she still had a tiny scrap of hope wedged inside her. It was so deep, that she couldn't remove it no matter how hard she tried. It was all her school teacher's fault._

 _Anytime a child in her class had a birthday, the whole day was about them. They got to choose the order of the lessons that day. They got to decide what activity/game to play in P.E, or what song to sing in music, and what movie to watch at the end of the day._

 _And Emma couldn't stop herself from thinking about her choices. She knew what order she wanted the lessons in. And she always enjoyed gymnastics. And she may have spotted the DVD of Peter Pan in her teacher's selection._

 _So yeah, Emma Swan had hope. She couldn't help it._

 _She should have known. Hope only breeds eternal misery._

 _After an underwhelming morning in her crowded group home, where no words were spoken to her at all – birthday related or otherwise – Emma left for school with some of the other kids. And if she was further ahead from the group than normal, or had a slight skip in her step, well no-one paid her any attention anyway._

 _Emma sent her teacher a big smile when she entered the classroom, which the teacher returned. The birthday girl stood at the front, waiting to be asked the questions every other student was asked on their birthday._

 _"Is anything you need, Emma?" The kindly woman addressed the girl who usually came in quietly with her head down. It was nice to see a smile on her face for a change._

 _"Umm…" Emma shook her head, slightly confused with the question. Maybe it was in case she needed anything in particular for her activities. Like to hire out the school's trampoline for P.E. It was a weird point to start with, but what did Emma know. She'd never done this before._

 _"Ok, well then would you like to take your seat. I'm just going to take the register."_

 _Emma's confusion grew at that. She was expecting at least a happy birthday, or some discussion about the plan for the day. An uneasy feeling took hold of her gut. Emma tried her best to ignore it._

 _The register went the same as it usually did. Emma's surname at the moment was Hayes, so she came middle of the register. When the teacher simply continued on to Martin Hinderworth, without any indication of Emma's special day, the unease in her stomach grew._

 _The teacher then proceeded to write up the day's schedule, putting the lessons in order herself. It was around when she announced that they would be running soccer drills in P.E., amidst the cheers from her classmates, that Emma's eyes burned with tears._

 _She should have known. Emma wasn't someone who was remembered. Emma wasn't someone that people wanted to celebrate. Emma was simply what she'd always been. An orphan._

 _Emma spent the morning fending off the waves of nausea as well as the threat of tears. She didn't pay attention to anything her teacher said, even during English when they were covering some of her favourite fairytales. She was starting to go off them anyway. What was the point of reading about selfless acts of true love when no-one would ever do them for you in real life? Emma was eight now. It was time for her to let go of that last scrap of hope wedged inside her._

 _The teacher had noticed that Emma's smile had fallen from her face. The young girl looked even more sullen than usual, and this worried her. The brightness in her eyes did falter slightly during their interaction that morning, but she hasn't thought much of it. Perhaps she should have._

 _During recess, the teacher racked her brain for any reason why Emma would be so down. She knew that the girl was troubled, that she'd spent her life in the foster system and moved around the country too much in her short life. The teacher went to the office and called up the young girl's file, wondering if there would be anything of significance there. Her eyes immediately landed on the girl's date of birth. And she quickly realised her mistake. The teacher went to find Emma outside and apologise. Ask if she would rather have the rest of the day be hers or float her choices to tomorrow so that she could have a full day._

 _However, the well-meaning teacher was too late. Emma was already gone._

 _Emma escaped through a hole in the fence at the back of the school field and ran to the group home with tears flowing down her cheeks. Using the key that was left under a stone outside, Emma entered the empty building and went straight up to the girl's bedroom._

 _She was stupid for thinking she would get this. She was just a lost little girl who didn't matter, and she never would. Her parents didn't even care that she was born, so why would anyone else._

 _Emma frantically packed her meagre belongings into her rucksack. She probably had hours before anyone would arrive and catch her, but Emma wasn't taking any chances. She needed to get out of here. Where would she go? She didn't care. Why should she? The world surely didn't._

 _Emma spent the night of her 8th birthday on the streets, ripping up the fairytales because she needed warmth more than lies._

 _In the end, Emma did get something for her 8th birthday. Something which was finally hers. She got a name. An identity._

 _Emma became a Swan._

 _#_

When Katie's 8th birthday dawned, it was clear that this was a special day.

The young girl awoke in her bedroom at the same time she did every weekday morning, a time that allowed her long enough to get ready for school. However, she wasn't going to school today.

Katie rubbed at her eyes, trying to get rid of the small pang of anxiety in her chest. She knew her parents, and her grandparents, had been fine with her decision to cancel her party. Well that's what they'd told her anyway. Still, she couldn't see how they couldn't be disappointed in her. Katie certainly was in herself. Lifting her teddy to her face, she took in deep breaths of his honey fur. After a few moments, Katie decided it was time to face the day. Her parents had wanted a child for so long, as long as she'd wanted a family of her own, she couldn't deny them any more of her company. It wasn't fair, on any of them.

The little girl's mouth fell open when she opened her bedroom door. Outside was a big purple star balloon, with _'Happy Birthday Katie'_ written on it in silver glitter. Halfway up the string of the balloon was an envelope addressed to her. With shaky fingers, Katie reached out and gently untied it. Inside was a brightly coloured card which said _'To Our Special Daughter on Her Special Day'_. A small smile graced Katie's lips, which only grew when she read the message inside:

 _To our darling princess Katie,_

 _May this day be as special as you are to us._

 _Will all of our everlasting love_

 _Mommy and Daddy xxxxxxxx_

Katie felt like her cheeks were going to split in two under the force of her smile. With no further delay, she quickly tied the balloon to her teddy's wrist and legged it downstairs.

The kitchen was empty besides from more balloons, a bouquet of middlemist flowers and various food items. Katie was going to inspect the offerings more carefully, before a voice behind her gained her attention.

"Happy Birthday Princess!" Killian's declaration had Katie spinning round to face him, where he was reclining in his favourite armchair. The young girl immediately forgot before food in favour of climbing onto father's lap.

"Thank you, Daddy." Katie threw her arms around his neck and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks for my card." She held up the object in question, dropping her teddy to the floor so the balloon wasn't in their way.

"You're most welcome, lass." Killian relished seeing his daughter this happy. Honestly he and Emma had been slightly apprehensive to see how Katie would be today, the week leading up to it had been a quiet one for all of them. Thinking of it, a quiet time was probably exactly what their little girl needed. What they all needed.

"Where's Mommy?" Katie searched for any sign of her mother. She knew that she wasn't at the station, as both of her parents had booked the day off to be with her.

"Mommy had to go sort something out. Don't worry though, she'll be back soon and then we can spend the entire day together." Killian rubbed his daughter's back, desperate to keep that wide smile on her face. "In the meantime how about we have some breakfast, aye?"

"Umm…I guess…" Katie's glow faltered slightly at her mother's unexplained absence. She went to remove herself from her father's arms, but Killian wouldn't allow it. No, he needed to see her smile back in full force first.

"I promise Mommy's perfectly fine and will be back very shortly." Killian implores with his daughter to trust and believe him. Of course, ultimately, she does so completely. Katie nods her head. "Now, come on, you grandfather gave me his famous pancake recipe. I need to know if mine are up to standard."

"The ones with chocolate chips?" Katie could feel her stomach rumbling at the thought.

"Why, of course." Killian winked at his daughter as her eyes lit up at his confirmation. Katie scrambled off his lap, giggling with excitement at tasting her father's version of her grandfather's famous chocolate chip pancakes. "Well love, what do you think?" Killian scratched behind his ear, an action that even Katie had grown to know as his nervous tell.

"They smell like Grandpa's." Katie confirmed before cutting into one and bringing the breakfast treat to her lips. It had slightly less chocolate than her grandad's did, the chips runny rather than gooey, and the nutmeg was overpowering. However Katie still deemed them the best she'd ever had, because her dad had made them for her on her birthday. "Don't tell Grandpa this, but I think yours may be even better than his."

"Truly?" Killian's cheeks warmed with blush at his daughter's compliment. Katie nodded in assent. "Well, that is high praise indeed."

By the time Emma walked through the door, Killian was on the second batch of pancakes and Katie was making her way through the pile of birthday cards in front of her. So many people had written so many nice messages to her, wishing her a happy birthday. She couldn't really process it.

"So how's the birthday girl?" Emma gushes as always at seeing her husband and daughter together in any capacity. She was hoping to be back before Katie woke up, but her errand took longer than expected.

"Hi Mommy." Katie stood to greet her mother with a crushing hug. Emma bent down in time to be level with her daughter for the embrace.

"Hi sweetie, I'm sorry I wasn't here when you got up." Emma pulled back enough to cup Katie's face in her hands.

"That's ok. Daddy made me Grandpa's Pancakes!" Katie exclaimed and nodded towards the fresh plate that her father was placing on the table.

"Really? Well Daddy must know just how special today is then." Emma looked to her husband, beaming at the look of pride on his face. "Did he do them with chocolate chips?"

"Why, of course." Katie giggled through her impression of her father, attempting to recreate the answer he'd given her. Emma joined in with her laughter, unable to resist the urge to pull her sweet happy girl into another hug. Katie squeezed her mother back just as tightly. "Oh and thank you for my card and my balloon!"

"You're welcome, sweetie." Emma straightened up as the smell of pancakes reached her nostrils. She couldn't deny that she was hungry, having left with only a cup of coffee in her system that morning. "May I have some of your birthday pancakes?"

"You may." Katie ran over to take back her seat at the table. She started to fix her mother a plate from the stack.

"I expect that your endeavour was a success?" Killian whispered in his wife's ear after he greeted her with a quick kiss.

"Aye, Captain." Emma winked which drew a smirk on her pirate's lips. "The cargo is secure in my vessel for now." Killian clucked his tongue against his teeth, his wife 'talking pirate' was a weakness of his. Before he could reply, however, a voice broke through their flirtatious bubble.

"Mommy the pancakes are getting cold, don't you want some?"

"Oh I definitely want some hot pancakes." Emma discreetly pinched her true love's bum, chuckling at his low growl as she joined their daughter at the table.

"The lass seems to think they may be even better than your father's, love." Killian shrugged his shoulders, feigning nonchalance. However, Emma knew how much that validation meant to him. Emma took a bite of her pancake and was mildly disappointed. They didn't taste bad, but Killian hadn't quite managed to match her father's. Emma's disappointment was fleeting, though, as she clocked eyes with her daughter. Katie's face said it all. The young girl knew that there was room for improvement, but had decided that her daddy's feelings were more important. Emma's heart melted, she would never stop being in awe of her daughter's capacity for kindness.

"I agree with Katie. These are great, babe." Emma's words brought such a light to the old pirate's eyes that it reflected into her own. He'd been through so much, she loved seeing him genuinely happy. That was also true for Katie. It was probably time to properly get her birthday under way. "Right, who wants some presents?"

"Presents?" Katie's eyes were wide as they flickered between her parents. She thought that her card and balloon were her presents; it was more than she'd ever gotten on her birthday.

"Aye, lass." Killian walked behind his armchair, where he had stashed her presents against the wall that morning. "Every princess deserves presents on her birthday."

Katie's eyes lit up at the brightly wrapped parcels her father was revealing. However, as more and more were added to the pile, Katie began to shake her head. Emma noticed this and put down her coffee in favour of comforting her baby girl.

"Katie, what is it?" Emma ran her fingers through the brown waves, being mindful of tangles caused by a night's sleep.

"It's...I...too much." Katie whispered, fighting the urge to shrug her mother off. She didn't deserve any of this. She may have accepted the cards and the balloons, the flowers and the pancakes. That had been hard, but she'd done it. But this.

"These aren't all from us, lass." Killian paused his task and walked over to his family. "Some are from your grandparents, and other people in the town who care for you."

"I'm not un...ungrateful." Katie's eyes filled with water at the thought that her parents would see her as such.

"Of course not, baby." Emma soothed her daughter, who was now looking so worried. "We would never think that."

"I just need...sometimes I seem it on accident." Katie bit her bottom lip to stave off her tears.

"I can't imagine you've ever seemed ungrateful, princess, even on accident." Killian's brow furrowed at the notion. "Has someone accused you of being as such?"

"H-he used to." Katie's voice cracked as her tears began to escape. Neither of her parents had to ask who 'he' was. "I n-never m-meant to be." Emma kept carding her fingers through Katie's hair, using her free arm to pull her daughter closer to her body. Killian offered his daughter his hand and hook to hold, Katie immediately took them into her grasp. "I j-just didn't always l-like what…h-his…p-p-presents."

Emma maneuvered her daughter onto her lap as she started to cry in earnest. She blinked back her own tears at her young girl's pain. Placing her gaze on her husband's, Emma saw the battle of grief and anger inside of him.

"Sweetie I promise you, you're not ungrateful or spoilt or any other horrible words." Emma spoke softly in Katie's ear, where her chin rested on her daughter's shoulder. "You're kind, caring, amazing and special. So special that all these people want to celebrate the day you were born by giving you cards and presents." She laid a kiss to Katie's cheek, knowing that the girl wasn't convinced just yet. Killian seemed to realise this also as he took a deep breath in.

"But it's still ok if you don't want them Katie. Remember what I told you?" Killian gently squeezed her hand so that she'd raise her gaze to his.

"You w-would never make me d-do anything I don't want to d-do." Katie managed to stutter out. She maintained eye contact with her father, looking for any sign that she'd said the wrong words or that he didn't mean them anymore. There was none.

"Exactly. So if you don't want the presents...whether it be some of them or all of them, neither me nor Mommy will make you." Killian smiled as Katie calmed down considerably at that. "Do you think you could tell us why? Don't feel obliged to, princess."

"I...umm...It's just..." Katie leaned back further onto her mother's chest. Emma's arms came around her waist so that, with Killian still holding her hands, Katie felt completely save and supported by her parents. "I used to not have anybody to do this, but now I do and...and I'm grateful," Katie paused to double check that that point was understood. Her father winked in confirmation and she continued. "But I feel bad...for all the kids who still don't have anybody. No presents, no cards, no family...no-one..."

"Lass, I love that you want to help everyone. You've got an exceptional caring heart, just like your mother." Killian glanced between his two girls. "However it's not your job to carry the world's sadness on your shoulders, especially not at the expense of your own happiness." He had had to tell his wife something along these lines many times throughout the years. It seems that his daughter also had that need to save everyone. If he hadn't said it before, his girls were so alike.

"What if I can help them, though?" There was conviction in Katie's voice which hadn't been present in the rest of the conversation.

"In what way, baby?" Emma tucked a piece of hair behind Katie's ear, so that she could see her better.

"I could...give them some of my presents? I don't need all of them." Katie shuffled on her mommy's lap to see both of her parents.

"You certain lass?" Killian didn't want his daughter to do this out of some misplaced guilt over having found a family.

"Yes I am." Katie nodded her head confidently. That confidence waned slightly when she saw her parents share one of their 'talking without talking' looks. "Is…is that ok?"

"Oh Katie, of course it's ok." Emma gave her daughter her widest smile. "If this is what you wish on your birthday, then we'll make it happen. Birthday wishes are extra magical cause they're so special."

"Really?" Katie giggled before gasping in something akin to horror. "But you're not supposed to tell your birthday wish to anyone or it won't come true!" Upon seeing the girl's bottom lip once again trembling between her teeth, Emma frantically searched for some answer. However, knowing who she was married to, she shouldn't have worried.

"That rule only stands if it is during the ceremonious blowing out of a candle on top of a cake." Killian supplied quickly, and with the solemn tone one would have when reciting an age-old law. Katie's glee returned with her father's clarification, only to increase when Killian removes his hand from her grasp to tickle her ribs. Katie's joyful squeals fill the house as she squirms in Emma's lap, attempting to escape her father's game at the same time as loving every second of it.

"Alright children." Emma laughs along with them and she releases Katie, only for Killian to snare the girl into his arms. This just makes Katie squeal harder. Emma takes this opportunity to go and collect the surprise cargo from her car.

When she returns, Katie and Killian are both panting for breath on the floor with red-tinted cheeks still sporting massive grins. They both sit up at her entrance, Katie's expression quizzical as she studies the small animal carrier in her mother's hands.

"Katie, this is a gift for you and it just so happens to be on your birthday that we are giving it to you, but we were planning on getting you one anyway." Emma placed the box on the floor and flipped open the cage. After a few moments of them all staring at the open door, nothing had happened.

"What is it?" Katie thought it was going to be an animal, so was surprised that there didn't seem to be any movement at all.

"He's pretty shy." Emma explained as she squatted down in front of the carrier and slowly reached her hands in. Then, after some soothing noises from the saviour, Emma pulled her hands out holding what looked like a black fluff ball. "Katie, this is a kitten we got for you. Now we have to be calm and gentle with him, cause he's very nervous." Emma's voice was incredibly soft now that she had the kitten in her hands.

"Where did you find him?" Katie matched her mother's gentle tone as she came to sit cross-legged in front of her.

"Grandpa spotted him on the farm yesterday. He took him to the animal shelter because he seemed cold and hungry. They looked after him last night. Grandpa used to work there, so they called him this morning with an update. When they said that he needed a home, well Grandpa immediately thought of us. Of you especially."

"Me? Why me?" Katie gasped quietly when the kitten finally lifted its small head. He looked around the home, seemingly scared by the new environment, before nuzzling back into Emma's hands. The animal had obviously taken quite a shine to Emma in the short time that they'd been acquainted for that morning.

"Cause Grandpa knows that you can give him the love and care that he needs. We all know you can." Emma strokes the cat's head with her thumb, coaxing him to reveal his face once more. "Do you want to stroke him?"

"Umm…I don't…" Katie seemed to retreat into herself once again, so Killian squatted down next to her and laid a kiss to the side of her head. "What if I hurt him? Or scare him?" Katie knew how scary it was to be touched when you didn't want to be, especially by strangers. She would never want to do that to anyone, let alone this helpless kitten.

"You won't baby." Emma scooted closer to her daughter, so that their knees touched. "Although he's shy, and a little scared, he actually likes being held. It comforts him." Well that Katie could definitely understand, now that she lived with parents who were constantly showing their love and support through touch. With a shaky hand, Katie reached and gingerly ran her finger along the cat's fur. The animal seemed to tense and Katie was quick to move her hand away, inwardly chastising herself for the action. However, the cat turned his head in her direction. His eyes seemed to plead with her to stroke him again.

"Go on, lass." Killian nodded, winking when his daughter made eye contact with him. Katie bit her bottom lip and tried again. This time the cat remained relaxed, even seeming to lean into her fingers. He let out a small wavering purr, his vocal chords weak, but still heard by everyone present. It was reminiscent of when Katie had first come to them, not yet using her voice but instead little noises to communicate how she was feeling. Killian's heart warmed at the knowledge of how far his daughter had come, had much love she had to help other living beings. "I think he likes you."

"You think?" Katie smiled at her father's assessment. This smile only grew when, surprising no-one but her, the cat stood on shaky legs and walked gingerly onto her lap.

"Most definitely." Killian gently scratched the kitten behind his ears, pleased that he'd taken a shine to Katie. To both of his girls, in fact. He clearly was a good judge of character.

"What do you say, sweetie? Should we keep him?" Emma knew what Katie's answer would be. The young girl was besotted with the new addition, and the feeling seemed to be mutual.

"Most definitely." Katie mimicked her father's accent, causing everyone present to laugh. The sudden loudness may have shocked the kitten, as he whimpered and ran his head against Katie's palm. "He's shaking." The girl lifted him to her chest, holding the small animal close to her heart. "Sssh it's ok."

"He'll get there, don't you worry princess." Killian grinned at his wife, whose eyes appeared glassy in the light. He knew why. They both had experience with helping a lost soul to feel at home in their family. So far they had an 100% success rate.

The rest of the day passed much the same, thankfully with notably less tears. The family spent the day getting to know the new addition, playing games and eating far too much junk food – Killian turned a blind eye to that due to it being such a special occasion.

Killian took the kitten back to the animal shelter that afternoon. Katie feared that he would think that they didn't want him. Emma explained that it was only temporary, as the kitten was still extremely small and hadn't completely recovered from being outside on his own for who knows how long. She said it was like when they first found Katie, how they'd done visits before living in their home together. Katie relaxed slightly after hearing that. Her parents had kept her, she'd learnt to trust that she was here to stay. One day the kitten would too.

Emma and Killian knew what presents everyone had got for Katie, so gave her a selection to keep as her own. Most of these were personalized gifts which could not go to anyone else. Amongst these was a glittery handmade bag and purse from Alexandra; apparently, even being the whirlwind that she was, Alex had taken the time to sit down and craft a present for her best friend.

Katie was still worried that she might upset people by donating their presents, or that she would seem ungrateful and too spoilt. Her parents once again didn't hesitate to reassure her.

"What about if you let them wish you a Happy Birthday in another way, lass?" Killian suggested from his place in their blanket fort. All three of them were lying on the living room floor, propped up by every pillow in the house, staring up at the image of the starry night that Emma had magicked above them.

"Like how?" Katie twisted to look at her father's profile. He had that twinkle in eyes, which she knew meant that he had a plan.

"Well, by all accounts, it's looking to be a nice day tomorrow. Perfect for a day out on the Jolly Roger." Killian turned onto his side, eager to see his daughter's reaction. Emma sat up slightly, she had an inclining where her husband was going with this.

"We could take her out?" Katie asked eagerly, forever excited by the prospect of spending time on her father's ship.

"Aye." Killian beamed at his daughter's pronoun of 'her' when referring to his vessel. Emma still found humour in his ship being viewed as a woman, but she had stopped calling it a boat so Killian has learnt to take what he can. "Perhaps we could invite some people to join us? Like your grandparents, Neal, Alexandra, as well as anyone else you would like." Killian did quite well at seeming nonchalant in his idea. Emma, on the other hand, was waiting with bated breath. They'd had such a lovely day, she didn't want Katie to become upset once more.

"Like a party?" Katie asked in a small voice. She didn't seem distressed by the topic, more like she was looking for clarification.

"Only if you want it to be." Killian dropped his facade, which was almost blasé, to show Katie just how much he meant that.

"Ok." Katie's answer came quicker than any of them expected.

"Ok?" Emma stroked her daughter's hair off of her face, trying to prompt her to say more. She needed more proof that Katie was truly sure about this; that she wasn't just doing this to make them happy.

"Yes. Ok." Katie winked at her mother, in another imitation of her father. Emma smiles in response, rubbing her thumb over Katie's cheek. "I think it will be fun."

"I'm sure it will be." Killian grinned widely.

Emma went to make them all some hot cocoa, and some popcorn with milk duds melted in. While she waited for the treats to heat up, she sent out a round of texts detailing the reinstated plan for the next day. She knew her parents were free, her mother had kept the date in the hopes that Katie would change her mind. Ever the optimist her mother.

By the time Emma settled back into the blanket fort with the tray of goodies, Killian had set up the laptop on Netflix.

"So what we watching?" Emma handed out the drinks, placing the bowl on Katie's lap as she was in the middle, before snuggling down in her previous spot.

"Bolt!" Katie exclaimed through a mouthful of gooey popcorn. "Can you believe Daddy's never seen it!?"

"It's yet to be included in Henry's movication." Killian lent forward to press play, grabbing some popcorn on the way back. "The lass's description has left me intrigued, however."

They all thoroughly enjoyed the movie, including Killian who greatly admired the dog's bravery and loyalty.

Katie did fall asleep about halfway through, Emma just managed to save the popcorn from falling to the floor. The birthday girl snuggled into her father's side just as the movie's song montage began.

 _I have got so much to give, I swear I do._

 _I may not have nine lives, this one feels brand new._

 _Yes I've lived a good one._

 _I have tried to be true._

 _There are some things I never realized, till I met you._

"Do you think she had a good birthday?" Emma savoured the taste of the sweet popcorn, not caring that it had long since gone cold. She could heat it up again with her magic if she really wanted to, but she didn't see the point.

"Aye, Swan." Killian shook his head softly at his wife's eating habits. Warm sticky popcorn he could get behind, however he drew the line at the cold congealed treat she was currently munching. "I believe she did."

 _Now the sun will rise in the east_

 _but I'm barking at the moon_

 _There is no home like the one you've got_

 _cuz that home belongs to you._

 _Woo Woo! Here I come._

 _Woo Woo! Back to you._

The couple spent a few moments simply staring at their beautiful daughter, who was sleeping contently following her special day.

"I think I should take her to bed." Killian groaned slightly as he stood up from lying on the floor for so long. Emma giggled, managing to stifle her quip about his age, instead focusing on easing Katie back into his arms.

"Goodnight birthday girl, I love you." Emma whispered as she laid a featherlight kiss to her daughter's forehead. Killian smiled softly at her before exiting the blanket fort with as much grace as one could, and headed upstairs with his princess.

 _There is no home like the one you've got_

 _cuz that home belongs to you._

Emma didn't realise that she had misted up until a tear escaped down her cheek. She wiped it away, chuckling at her own sentimentality and got to work clearing up after their movie snacks. She decided to leave the blanket fort where it was, there was something special about it. Something magical. She'd never had one before, definitely not as a child, and she was therefore certain that it was Killian's first. And was is it he always says? 'You never forget your first." Therefore Emma settled back on the pile of pillows to await her husband, in the blanket fort which they had lovingly made with their daughter to celebrate her 8th birthday. Because they cared so much. And tomorrow the Jolly would be filled with people, all there for the sole purpose that they cared for Katie. And that was a pretty astounding thought, for a family of three formally lost souls.

 _There is no home like the one you've got_

 _cuz that home belongs to you._


End file.
